Maker of Dreams
by srifette
Summary: "A maker and a maker make a maker." Or so Sarah has been told. Then what does that make her? Thirteen years have passed since that fateful night. Sarah is a successful, independent woman with no memory of what happened in the Goblin City. As events unfold Sarah is off on a journey back into the unveiled world of Jareth, where nothing is as it was and anything is possible.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer:

I do not own Sarah, Toby, Jareth, Stepmother "Irene", Father or any of the Labyrinth creatures within the story of the _Labyrinth._

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Prologue

The Maker of Dreams

Jareth watched as the walls of the castle above him tumbled down. Soon the Goblin world would be a shadow of a memory. The darkness came to engulf the world starting at the very spot he stood. It ripped through the walls of the castle down the cobble stoned alleys, up the moss covered stonewalls of the Labyrinth. Soon every living creature Sarah had known in the Labyrinth would be lost in the blackness. Moments ago the fifteen-year-old Sarah slipped from the dream world he had created for her and back into the comfort she knew. He knew her friends would visit her one last time. He knew they would promise to be there for her. He knew that promise would be in vain. The man shook his head sadly and let out a heavy sigh.

_It was destined to end this way. It always does the fantasy turns to dreams—dreams end and the mortals will always go back to their world_. _They will forget what happened here. Forget that their dreams had been real. _

This was the way things were. He was a maker of worlds, wonderful magical worlds full of adventure and excitement. He specialized in children's fantasies. Sometimes it was dark business, but mostly it was fun. He loved it. The children had the ability to imagine in to existence just about anything. But in the end the children left and with that the worlds turned to blackness. This was expected.

Sarah was a special case. He had watched Sarah for many years. When she was a small child her dreams were vivid and he loved creating small adventures for her. Her mother had read her bedtime stories every night. And Sarah loved to imagine she was the heroine in each one. Except Sarah would be a pirate queen in a story about trolls and billy goats, or little red riding hood on the North Pole Express. He loved the worlds she urged him to create. That is until her mother died. Sarah stopped imagining and became withdrawn and timid. Jareth waited patiently, hoping she would find her lightheartedness again. One day she found an old copy of her mother's favorite book. "The Labyrinth." There was an inscription, "My dearest Olina, may you never stop dreaming—but always come back home." She delved into the pages and rediscovered the magic she had lost. The book became her favorite she had reread the pages so many times she knew most of it by heart. Jareth knew she was a little older than his usual dreamer, fifteen he thought maybe too close to womanhood. But in the end he felt he could not deny her one last adventure. He hadn't expected it would be any different from his usual game. He hadn't expected he would enjoy her company so much. He thought he would let her dream end naturally.

_Then why had I asked her_ _to stay_? _And why do I_ _feel so empty now? I have never been a lonely man._

He hadn't expected for himself to feel so jarred. Jareth, cocked his head and tightened his jaw emptying a loaded sigh into the blackness and continued his mental tirade.

_I played her game, I gave her the adventure she wanted, the challenge, the villain, the friendship, the wonder… I enticed her, seduced her with the romance **she** wanted. Explain to me how it is it **I **am the one…the one…what is this feeling? _

_Hurt? Rejected?_

_It's impossible. Love was never in the game. She's too naïve, too innocent…a child still. __And how could I, Jareth, Maker of Dreams fall for a mortal being? Impossible. _He shook his head solemnly. _ It was affection. Nothing more. Nothing less. I felt affection for her. Brotherly… affection._

Jareth shifted uncomfortably, clutching his chest.

_Now, how can I get her back?_

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A/N: Hello, I am so excited to write a novel! And happy to have you reading it! I hope you enjoyed the prologue. It kind of wrote itself. What do you think?


	2. Chapter 1

I do not own Sarah, or any _Labyrinth_ characters. I do own Grace, and Miss Granger. :)

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Chapter One

Life goes on.

"Miss Granger?" Sarah called on the freckled redhead in the first row.

"Uhmm… a desire to become immortalized?"

"Could you elaborate, Miss Granger?" She asked, reassuringly.

"Catherine loved Heathcliffe and Linton. But her love for Linton was different to what she felt for Heathcliffe. Linton was an easy love, but Heathcliffe was her soul mate. In the end she realized that choosing Linton may have been easier but it was not withstanding. Whereas the love she shared with Heathcliffe would continue even in death."

"Very good. Yes, this is another important theme in _Wuthering Hights. _A theme allowing the novel to be interpreted as both a religious and metaphysical work." Sarah turned to the board behind her and wrote, _Striving for Transcendence. _We see this in the passage where Catherine refers to her love of Linton as "the seasons" and her love of Heathcliffe as "the rocks." Because her love of Heathcliffe is something as steadfast as the rocks she believes in death she can achieve an existence beyond the material experience. To become immortalized through love, as you put it Miss Granger, thank you."

Sarah looked up to the clock hanging on the classroom wall. 3:50. She regarded the classroom briefly. The college students were already tucking their closed anthologies of Victorian Literature into their backpacks.

_It's Friday. _Sarah reminded herself.

"Okay, remember papers are due in on Monday. Late papers are zero papers." The group of students groaned as Sarah continued,"Yes, I know. This is life folks. You still have your Friday to enjoy." Sarah walked over to the podium to gather her own belongings. A few students paused to say "good weekend" before speeding out the door. And then Sarah was alone. She walked over to the dry erase board and began to erase the themes she had written on the board. She lingered slowly over the words "striving for transcendence."

"Staring at it won't make it come true," a clear voice rang from behind her. Sarah jumped startled, and then smiled at the recognition of the voice's owner.

"Ha ha." she said spinning on her heels to face her friend. "I thought we were meeting at the Java Hut."

"Let my students out early. Thought I would come see the slave driver in action."

"Delightful. I get to be bantered on the way to the coffee house too." Sarah shot a sly smile to her friend.

"Change of plans, Sare. We are gonna' shop."

"Shop?"

"Yes shop, S-H-O-P, shop."

"Thank you for that."

"You're more than welcome."

"Grace, not that I don't love this sarcastic dialogue we have going on here, but do you think you could help me out? Why are we shopping now?"

"I got us hot dates," Grace spout. She smiled mischievously and began to run her fingers through her ash blonde hair, waiting for Sarah to respond. Sarah grimaced and breathed in a sigh of discontent. "No, there will be none of that." Grace grabbed Sarah by the wrist and started tugging her towards the door. "No excuses. You're not sick, not busy, not caught in traffic, or having a great uncle die, _again_." Sarah tried to dig in her heels, but found that the cross country coach was much fitter than she. She finally gave in and followed Grace grudgingly. "Honestly," Grace continued, "I don't understand why you are so afraid to put yourself out there. You're a catch. Any guy would be crazy not to fall for you." Grace turned towards Sarah and watched as her friend crossed her arms in protest. "You want a pep talk? I can do that. I should have been a motivational speaker. Pros: Sarah Williams is a smart, successful, attractive professor. Cons: she's a RECLUSE. Look, I know you haven't dated much, and the few guys you dated turned out to be total jerks but don't throw in the towel yet. You're not so young anymore. But still not so old to give up."

"Geeze, thanks," Sarah finally interrupted. "Remind me how old are you again? 30? And what is that? 2 years OLDER than me."

"Exactly, and as someone older and oooh so wiser than you, you should listen to me." Sarah's scowl broke into a smile. Grace was good. "Plus dating is more fun when it's done in groups. Helps to have someone to laugh at our dates with."

"Fiiiiiine. This is the last one you will drag me on," Sarah conceded.

"And the first," Grace added. "I was thinking we would go to that boutiques on Manchester. So many cute outfits. Since you have nothing even remotely appropriate for dating you should bring your Gold Card Express. I have a feeling we will be spending a small fortune. God, I love spending other people's money. Should have been a secret shopper or a fashion stylist."

Sarah listened halfheartedly to her friend as they walked out the brick the building. She loathed dating. She was dreading the evening to come. She breathed in the heavy spring air. _ Looks like we will be expecting rain too, s_he thought.

Something else was nagging at her though, something other than her forthcoming night of emotional torture. She wasn't sure why but the air felt electric and charged with disaster. She shrugged it off as nerves and slipped into her red Volkswagen to follow Grace to the store.

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A/N: And so we meet a grownup Sarah. What do you think of her 13 years later? Let me know, I love reviews!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Irene (Stepmother), Toby or any _Labyrinth characters._

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Chapter Two

Home is where you'll find me.

Sarah pulled up to an English Tudor style house. She got out of the car and hauled the five overflowing bags of clothing up her red-brick covered front steps._ A small fortune indeed, _she mused fumbling for the keys of her home of 5 years with one hand.

The house she stood before was her most prized possession and safe haven. She had bought the house with the some inheritance money her grandfather Williams had left her. She hadn't even known the man. Apparently there was some family feud back before Sarah was even born. When her grandfather passed he left his money, estate, and possessions to her and Toby. Of course Toby would have to wait until he was older to come into his inheritance. Her other friends were overwhelmed by dept. She knew she was lucky in that respect. She was twenty eight and debt free. Thanks to her scholarships to Brown and the money her grandfather had left her. She led an easy life. She worked hard the school year, but every summer she would travel. Most often she would go to Europe. She explored Rome, Paris, London, Berlin, Vienna, Prague…as well as the small towns in between. She loved cobblestone roads, wooden shutters, and tiled roofs. Yes, life was good for her. _Even if I am alone. _She thought.

She entered the pale yellow hall and placed her keys and cell phone down next to a bouquet of fresh cut red roses from her garden. She breathed in their heavenly scent and continued onto her bedroom. The walls of her bedroom were a rich chocolate brown. The curtains were a floral ivory. She had one painting in the room. She had found it at a flea market. The image was of a little girl in a white gown surrounded by a forest and petting a doe. Something about the child's face seemed familiar. She seemed so at peace in the portrait. The work was an original signed MDJ.

She layed the "makeover bags" down on an ivory laced duvet. Rifling through the bags she pulled out the simple black dress with a plunging neck line. The fabric was very thin she thought. After a quick shower she blew dry her dark chocolate colored hair and worked on pinning it up in loose curls for the night. She applied her makeup as usual but applied more attention to highlighting her green eyes. Finally she opted for a scarlet red lipstick and slipped into her black dress being careful not to smudge her makeup. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. _I look gooood_. She smiled. And almost felt excited for her date. Almost.

"Okay, feet," she said to herself turning to her closet for shoes. "Looks like I'm going through with this."

Her phone rang breaking the silence.

Her heart skipped a beat. She dropped the silver stilettos. Something's wrong. She knew it. She walked slowly into the hall and stared blankly at the phone afraid to pick up. Breathing in a sigh of courage she grasped the phone and slowly brought it up to her ear.

"Hello?" Her voice was a whisper.

"Sarah?" It was her stepmother's voice. Strained. _Oh no._

"Yes, what is it? What's wrong? Irene?"

"Sarah, your father has been killed in car accident. Please come home. I need…your help."

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A/N: Thanks for reading. Yes, Robert dies. :( Sad but necessary. And I know exposition can be dull. It'll pick up soon, promise! Please leave me a review!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Toby, Irene, Jareth or any other _Labyrinth _characters.

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Chapter Three

A little owl told me...

It was about a four hour drive from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Upper Nyack, New York. It was pretty much a straight line on Interstate West 84. Sarah knew the way like the back of her hand. This time the drive seemed to go on forever. The hours had never seemed so slow to pass. Around two in the morning she finally passed the familiar sign:

Welcome to Upper Nyack

Population 1756.

In passing she noticed someone had adorned the sign with the familiar bumper sticker "Goosetown against the world." Goosetown was the town's beloved nickname. The story dated back to the year 1909 when a local man would walk his geese down to the river every day. There were so many geese that visitors believed the town was a goose haven. _I don't know about geese, _Sarah mused, _but Owltown maybe. I've seen my share of owls._ Regardless, it was the kind of charm that Sarah had loved about this small town. She gave a fleeting smile despite herself and then felt a new wave of sadness come over. Sarah let out a loaded sigh. _When was the last time I came home? When is the last time I saw him? _she thought to herself accusingly. She had been crying almost all the way down. In the last hour she had reached a level of numbness to her relief. She cannot be there for her step-mother or brother if she was a crying wreck herself. Now with this new wave of emotions the tears welled again, and she knew it was senseless to fight them any further. She pulled the car over to the side of the road. She opened the door and let in the cool wet night air. She bent over her knees, clutched her chest, and emptied all the grief she could into black silence around her. _Empty it all out, _she thought, _I have to be strong. For them._

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At five AM, an unrested Sarah lay in her old two-poster bed. It had been four days since she came back to Upper Nyack. Her father's funeral had been held the day before. Over two hundred guests had passed to give their condolences. Most of whom she didn't know. Her head pounded and her throat was scratchy and sore. She stared blankly at the green and yellow floral wallpaper, what she could see of it. Her walls were still covered by the same fantasy toys, posters, and books. She shifted her gaze and her eyes settled on her poster of the Escher room. She always found that this poster seemed oddly familiar. A man's face fleeted by in her mind. It was him again. That man's face. She didn't know where she knew him from, but she had memorized his blonde and spiky wild hair, thin lips, and angular face. _So familiar._ Her heart always skipped a beat when his face flashed before her.

_Tell me Sarah, what do you think of my labyrinth? _a disembodied husky voice played in her mind.

_That was a first, _she thought widening her eyes in surprise. _ I really need some coffee._ She pulled herself out of bed, slipping into pair of old yoga pants and bunny slippers. She descended the staircase and steered herself into the kitchen where Toby and Irene sat solemnly.

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" Toby spoke while chomping his Frosted Flakes.

"Toby, close your mouth while you eat," Irene chided. "Good morning, Sarah."

"Morning Irene. Morning Mr. Pig," Sarah smiled gaily at her brother. Toby stuck out his tongue in revenge.

"Sarah, I thought since you will be leaving us in a few days that we could go through some of your father's things tonight? "

"Already?"

"Does it seem too soon?" Irene looked hurt. "I'm doing the best I can, here. I've never done any of this before. I don't know what to do or when to do it. Nothing really seems appropriate."

Sarah felt a pang of guilt. She knew her stepmother was barely holding it together. If she needed to keep busy to distract herself Sarah could help. "No, no. It's fine. It's good. Let's do it this first thing this afternoon. "

"I wanna help." Toby said assuredly.

_He has tried to be so strong, _Sarah thought. _He has grown up so fast. Trying to fill the role of the man of the house already. He's too young. Fourteen is too young to lose a father… Nine is too young to lose a mother. _Sarah shifted uncomfortably remembering how losing her mother had changed her. _Please don't change, Toby. _"Sure thing, Tobes. Let's do it together."

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Toby sat cross-legged on his bed trying to concentrate on Volume I of the Japanese manga, "Black Bird." It was a fun story about a high school girl hunted by goblins. It had all sorts of adventure. Usually, the manga found itself to be great distraction when crunching numbers for pre-algebra. He was disappointed to find that didn't apply to dealing with his father's death. He reread the heroine's line yet again "I Misao Mirada, can see things." Sometimes he felt he could see things too. Sometimes he had the most vivid dreams he was sure they were real. He would even see Misao in his dreams. She was so beautiful, and especially cute in that schoolgirl uniform.

"Knock, knock," his sister said dulcetly, poking her head in the room. "Permission to come aboard?"

"Permission granted." Toby smiled, thankful for another attempted distraction.

Sarah looked around the room curiously. "This place has changed."

"Yeah, Dad and I redid it in January." Toby looked down awkwardly. He said,'Dad.'

"Oh. Well, it's nice. I like the color. "

"It's black."

"Yeah, I know," she said, not sure what to say next. "You know black isn't actually a color. Black is the absence of color."

"No, I didn't know that."

"It's a fact. Verifiable with Wikipedia even, so it's_ bound_ to be true."

"I know, I know. Wikipedia is the devil." Toby joked.

"I'm just saying..."

Toby smiled at his sister warmly. She would never know it, but he admired her a lot. She was so independent and cool. "We weren't finished," he added after a moment.

"Hmm?" Sarah poked around his room looking at his books, trophies, and model cars.

"We were going to get some glue and paint these foam balls I got to make the solar system. We had it all planned out. "

Sarah looked down at her feet and then back to Toby. "Well, would you like me to help you? I could help you finish it up before heading out this weekend. " Toby's grin doubled and a light of excitement appeared in his eyes.

"Really? That'd be awesome!" Toby paused and then added, "I mean… that'd be alright." He nodded his head coolly.

_Toby, you're in such a rush to grow up…, _Sarah thought to herself. "Alright I'll buy us some glue for tomorrow and we will build us a solar system." She found herself smiling back at Toby. _It would be fun to do this together._ Sarah grazed her eyes over the bookshelf above his desk. A red small leather bound book caught her eye. "Hey, I know this," she cooed. "The Labyrinth." A big smile spread from ear to ear.

"Yeah, I found it in the attic a couple of years ago," Toby informed her.

Sarah opened the book to an ear marked passage.

_Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen. _

"Huh. I had forgotten this book." An image of a black hole of floating staircases popped into her mind. "I used to have such an imagination."

"It must run in the family." Toby joked. "Hey, there is an inscription, do you know what it means?"

Sarah opened the cover and read aloud.

_My dearest Olina, may you never stop dreaming—but always come back home._

"Of course. Yes, I do remember this now. How did I forget?"

"What is it?"

"Olina, was my birth Mom."

"Olina is Linda?" Toby asked, confused.

"Yeah, when she became an actress she apparently changed it to Linda. Something easier to remember, I guess. "

"Who's it from? "

"That I don't know. Dad hadn't known either."

"Hmm… a mystery."

"Indeed." Sarah closed the book and placed it on Toby's dresser. "So, looks like _I_ have a glue run to make. Want to join me? "

"Yeah cool, let me just grab my jacket." Toby jumped off his bed and jolted out the hall.

_Apparently he isn't that eager to grow up after all. _She smiled inwardly. She looked down at the tattered cover of the Labyrinth and shook her head bewildered. It felt like she was forgetting something. _Oh, well. I am sure it will come to me. _With that thought in mind Sarah turned on her heels and exited the room. The room grew silent except the hoot of an owl perched outside Toby's window.

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Jareth watched the intimate scene between brother and sister unfold. It had been awhile since he had last seen Sarah. He had spent five human years convincing himself that she was nothing more than any other dreamer child that had passed his way. He had fought almost every urge to go back to her, and he had lost hope that she would come back to him. In the end he accepted that she was unique. The next six years he spent painting her as a _unique,_ spoiled little brat who had wished her baby brother away.

_That is, in fact, what happened_, he fumed again.

The last two years he had spent trying to forget her existence entirely. Watching her now it was hard to fuse together the fifteen year old girl in his memory with the twenty eight old woman five feet in front of him.

_Where is the wonder? And that fire in her eyes? Generous, now, yes …_. _But a sarcastic shell of what she used to be. _He sighed heavily.

He watched her trace a model car with her index finger. He regarded her dark brown hair, slim form, and angelic face._ Yes, she is a graceful and beautiful…woman… now. _His heart missed a beat and he felt a tug from within pulling him towards her.

_No. _He forced the feeling surging to the surface aside.

_It would be most inconvenient to feel attraction towards her now, since I have sworn to loath her indefinitely. _

_How you turn my world, you precious thing. _

_What's this?_

Jareth watched as Sarah rediscovered the book that had brought her to him again thirteen years ago. He felt a knot in the pit of stomach and he realized he was holding his breath. Toby had also found him through this book, and since then he had embarked on many day dreaming adventures, the latest inspired by a Japanese manga.

_What is the mystery behind this book? _Jareth observed impatiently. _Would I play her Goblin King again?_

_No, I will under no circumstances play her game again. I couldn't, even if I wanted to._

_She's reading a passage. _

_She's remembering things. _

_She's reading the inscription... _

_She's…_

_She's…she is putting the book dooown._

Jareth watched as Sarah closed the book and firmly placed it on Toby's dresser. He felt a wave of disappointment despite himself.

_This is dangerous ground, _he thought. _Sarah could be the undoing of me._

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Sarah, shifted uncomfortably in her new grey pencil skirt. After she had received her step-mother's call she had rushed to pack the minimum. She stuffed the sacks of new clothes from her Grace mandated shopping spree into a suitcase and dumped the contents of her vanity drawer in a plastic bag from Target. She now found herself stylish and consequently physically uncomfortable. She wore a button down sleeveless top made of layers of sheer ivory silk with a ruffled v-neck. The top was tucked into her knee length soft grey pencil skirt. The effect was classy she admitted to herself, but her movements felt very restrained. She thought longingly to her high school jeans in the dresser in the room over. _Had to grow curves, _she thought as she shook her head. She was in the middle of dividing her father's side of the closet of into three piles.

_This one still smells like him. I want to keep it, _she thought, breathing in her father's scent. She placed the sweater in a heaping pile. There was one pile to good will, one to the city dump, and one to take home with her. The piles were not proportional.

_Oh, God. I can't do this. _She choked back a wave of tears again. Irene walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll finish up here," Irene assured. _She is handling this better than me, _Sarah thought.

"Sarah, why don't you come look at this box with me?" Toby suggested gesturing the box he had found in the back of the closet. "It has all kinds of stuff about Dad in it. Look I found his old freshman year book. And there are a couple letters from your Mom when she was on a theatre tour. Oh, and look at this." He handed her a folded card. "Dad got a D in Geometry his sophomore year of high school. Yeah, and he complained about my progress report for Pre-Algebra last month. Busted."

"Toby, we have been over this before, a C- is unacceptable," Irene lectured. "You are better than that. In any case, from what I heard about your Grandpa Williams, I'm sure your Dad wasn't let off easy either."

"Okay, okay." Toby frowned.

"Okay, Toby. Let's see what you have there. " Sarah sat on the edge of the bed crossing her long legs at the ankles in front of her. She pulled out a pile of papers from the box. She wondered if she should be going through them. It seemed intrusive to her. What if she were to discover a secret out about her Dad? She didn't think he had any secrets to hide. Regardless, it felt strange. She looked at Toby from the corner of her eyes. _If our father had any secrets, it's better I find them first. _

Sarah had been dreading the afternoon's arrival but once the three set to work the time became bittersweet with memories and discoveries about her father. _It is so sad that I feel like I understand my father better now than I did when he was right here next to me._ Sarah had looked through piles of papers he had saved. She was surprised to see that he saved every letter she wrote from college, father 's day and birthday cards, old orchestra programs, play bills, everything. _My father was sentimental. Who knew? _She opened a folded thick yellowed piece of paper. It was of a bizarre texture that she hadn't seen before. It was a letter addressed to her mother. Her heart skipped a beat. She recognized this handwriting. It was the same loopy lettering as the inscription in "The Labyrinth".

_My dearest Olina,_

_By the time you find and open this I imagine you will already be in your new home. The place you are going to will seem strange and unfamiliar to you. It is one that you cannot change. It is as it is. And magic is not real. It will be a tough transition. I wish I could be there for you. _

_I know we argued last night. I know I didn't show you the support you needed to make this journey. I want to give you some of that love and support now. I have never been brave. I have never taken any risks. Seeing that you are so brave and willing to take a chance has been the greatest joy in my life. I pride myself in knowing that I have had a daughter as capable as you. I wish you and this Robert all the happiness and comfort in his world. I know you will lead a full life. But remember should you need me, you can always come home. _

_Love, _

_Mom_

_PS- The book was one of my favorites the pages are especially full of magic. It is an easy way to imagine your way back to me._

Sarah sat frozen with the letter rigid in her hand. A confounded "what!?" floating in the recess of her brain. She shook herself slightly and folded the paper discretely hiding it in the palm of her hand. Turning to Toby and Irene she said "I'm not feeling so well. Can we continue this tomorrow?" She slipped out of the room before they had a chance to respond.

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A/N: A little tidbit of information...in case you didn't already know. I looked up where Labyrinth was filmed. It was filmed mostly in the UK except for part in Upper Nyack, NY. The "Goosetown" is a true story! At least it is according to Wikipedia. And yay, we are out of the setup and into plot development! I really hope you like what I write.

Thanks for reading. :) Please review. Pretty please?


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Toby, or Jareth or any other Labyrinth character.

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Chapter Four

I dreamed a dream.

Sarah entered her bedroom and peered briefly out the hall before closing the door firmly behind her. The palm of her right hand was sweaty. She was clutching tightly both the letter from her grandmother and the copy of "The Laybrinth" she had stolen from her brother's room. She breathed heavily with anticipation. So many questions raced in her mind.

_Who is my grandmother?_

_Where is she? _

_What does she mean "his world?"_

_What does she mean "magic?"_

_Where is my mother from? _

Sarah, had reread the letter a hundred times already. It was vague, but Sarah felt certain it was indirectly trying to tell her something. It was clear to her that the new place her grandmother referred to was right here in Upper Nyack. Her grandmother mentioned in the letter of her new life with Robert. Sarah knew her mom and dad had met just outside the town's boundaries while hiking. She remembered the story clearly. Her mother said they were both hiking in the woods alone. The ground was muddy after a downpour the day before. She had slipped on a tree root, twisted her ankle, and fell into an alcove below the main trail. Her dad had heard the cry of her mom and came to her rescue. "'My Prince" she would call him lovingly thereon afterward. The new "strange" and "unfamiliar" place was Upper Nyack, Sarah was sure. But that didn't make any sense. Her mom was from a small town in Connecticut, which was not a far cry from Upper Nyack. Furthermore, her mom had told her that she had no living relatives.

_I suppose my grandmother could have passed away after this letter was written. But if so then why didn't my mother tell me about her? Nothing makes sense, _she thought. _And what is this part about "magic" and "his world." We all live in one world. Without magic. This is ridiculous. Am I suppose to believe she comes from some other…world? Eeghh...maybe my grandma was mentally ill. Though the letter seems lucid enough. _ _Why would my mother lie to me? _Sarah, bit her nails and reread the post script out loud.

"PS- The book was one of my favorites, the pages are especially full of magic. It is an easy way to imagine your way back to me."

_Okay, so the idea of imaging your way back to someone is insane. Yes. But for sake of argument, let's say it was possible. _Sarah, held her breath not sure if she wanted for her next thought to surface. _They didn't find a body. There was just our empty car in the Hudson River. _

_What if my mother went home?_

Sarah stared vacantly before her. She could hear the voices of her step-mother and Toby in the kitchen below.

_"It's an easy way to imagine your way back to me."_

_Okay, _Sarah thought. _I'll read it again. _She opened the red leather bound book and began to read.

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Sarah had not expected this. A flood of visions from every direction. _So real, I feel I lived this. _ _Not this story exactly, but something..._I_ know this story._

_Toby. __The Labyrinth. _

_There was a grumpy dwarf...but he became my friend. __Hoggle!_

_A kind but huge beast...and the guaradian of a bridge...__Ludo! __Didymus!_

_I must be crazy I remember them all. _A familiar angular face shot through the flood of memories.

_Jareth! The Goblin King. He stole Toby..._

"It was real… all of the crazy, ridiculous story was real! How do I get back?! I need to get back. Jareth? Jareth, you bastard. You took my mother, now?!" Sarah shot her eyes around the room and out the window looking for that villainous owl.

No owl. No reply.

She jumped off the bed and continued to search frantically in the air around her. "Jareth, dammit. I know you are there! Stop being a coward and confront me! Jareth!" Her eyes fired and her voice was a vicious whisper. "Goblin King! Get your tights wearing ass out here!

"Tsk, tsk, Sarah…such crude language for a lady," a husky musical voice resonated behind her. Jareth stood leaning comfortably against her door holding a grey walking stick. He was different. He was not the same Goblin King from her memory. He wore simple loose fitting bisque colored pants and a billowing white button-up shirt. His hair natural blonde and chin length was parted on the side. His features were unchanged by time, though the glam makeup had been washed away. Sarah, was taken aback for a moment by his changed appearance but quickly regained momentum.

"You!" the word was two loaded syllables. "You horrible…" _What is he? _"Goblin King, I demand an answer. A straight answer. What did you do with her? Where is she?"

"Sarah, Sarah," Jareth said coolly shaking his head. "I find three problems with your…question. Firstly, if you demand an answer from the Goblin King you are wasting precious time on me. " He grinned mischievously.. "Secondly, you ask two different questions not one. You will have to be more precise. And thirdly, '_she' _is very vague indeed as it accounts for more fifty percent of the population."

A seething Sarah studied Jareth and released a heavy sigh. "Fiiine, let me start over," she said with a fake smile. "I believe my mother is in the Goblin Kingdom. I believe you took her and I would like her back now. Thank you," she said with sarcasm dripping like honey.

"Curious indeed," Jareth said, circling Sarah. "Well you can see my dilemma, as I did not take your mother, nor do I know who or where she is. "

Sarah charged at Jareth, "Don't you dare lie to me, Jareth. I want my mother back." Their faces were inches apart.

"Why must I play the villain again, Sarah?"

"That is what you are, Jareth. You are a wretched…something… that cares only for himself." Sarah stared hard at Jareth. Jareth held her gaze momentarily blinked and looked away. _What was that? Why did he…? For a second he looked hurt. _

A moment passed and Jareth regarded Sarah carefully. "Sarah, I might help you. But first, I need to un-clutter that busy little head of yours." He sighed heavily. "You are sorely mistaken on several subjects, and though I do not have the time or will to enlighten you on all of them, you must understand a minimum. Oh, and hello, Toby." Sarah whirled around to the open door behind her. There Toby stood with his mouth round in awe.

"Hey, it's Kyo. I mean, cool, you look different. I mean, you're blonde for one. And you're not Japanese now. But it's you."

"Toby, no, out. Please. It's not your friend, KEEYO," Sarah protested. "Please , can we talk later? I need to talk to the Gob…to Jareth alone."

"No, that's him alright. Where we going tonight? Plenty of horrible demon goblins to track, right?" Toby plopped down on Sarah's bed.

"Toby! Out, now!" Sarah shot back, watching as Toby stood unmoved. She walked to the door in a huff, calling out "Ireeene!"

"She's out. Went to give back the clean platters from the reception. She has to go to Mrs. Lucas' house. She might be gone for hours, probably won't see her until tomorrow morning," Toby said matter-of-factly.

"Toby, please go downstairs." Sarah insisted.

"No, I'm going with. I always do. Tell her Kyo, or Jareth, or whatever your name is now." Toby grinned.

Sarah looked murderously towards Jareth. "Yes, tell me Jareth. How is it my baby brother thinks he knows you?"

Jareth smiled smugly at Sarah. "It's like this my dearest Sarah, I am not the Goblin King. I did not-"

"Yes you are!" Sarah butt in.

"Sarah, don't interrupt me," he said darkly. "I am not a goblin king or manga character. I am a Maker of Dreams. Nothing more. I give my dreamers what they can imagine. They follow me into world of danger, adventure…romance." his last word directed to Sarah alone.

"We dream it all up?" Toby asked.

"You could call it a _waking_ dream. The adventures are real and controlled by me. Right now you are in corporal form in your world. In the worlds I create your body and soul is present as well. All of your senses follow you. And your adventures are as real as the world you are in now. When you go back to your world you forget."

"How?" Toby asked. "I haven't forgotten…exactly."

"There are phases. First you doubt your own memory, then you convince yourself it was a dream. And in time you forget." He spoke slowly and melodically, staring at Sarah.

"Fiiine. Goblin Kingdom, Dream world, I don't care. Let's say …I believe you, just answer me straight. Please, did you take my mother?" Sarah asked in earnest.

"No," Jareth said. He sighed heavily deciding something. "But I will help you get her back."

* * *

A/N: Yes! There he is in all his glory. Jareth. I hope you love my Jareth as much as I loved writing him! Review, review! Please! :)


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Jareth, Toby or any other _Labyrinth_ characters. I do own all characters from the Makers Realm. :)

* * *

Chapter Five

Cat and Mouse.

Jareth watched Sarah fixedly. _Pestilent woman,_ he thought. _So stubborn. _He watched as her eyes darted from her unfamiliar surroundings to her brother Toby. Her left hand was placed strategically on her brother's shoulder. They had been walking in a field of golden flowers for a little over an hour. When Jareth had said the fateful words "I will help you get her back," Sarah had insisted he bring her into his world immediately. Of course, she hadn't been considering her attire. He smiled smugly. It was a sight in deed. Her hair was unattached and wild in the field's wind. She spat out stubborn strands of hair that insisted on blowing in her face. She hiked her knees up as high as the pencil skirt would allow, awkwardly marching over the flowers and large blades of grass. Her strappy shoes with a kitten heel digging into mud and getting caught in the roots. _This is going to be fun, _Jareth thought. Her brother Toby was more appropriately dressed in camouflage, khaki pants and a Bob Marley t-shirt. Jareth watched as Toby ventured forward when Sarah stopped to pry her heel out from between two rocks.

"Toby, stay with me. It's not safe," Sarah warned Toby in vain.

"Don't worry, I'm okay," Toby reassured her.

Jareth laughed inwardly peering at the disheveled Sarah. "I'm not sure it's _Toby_ that needs protection," he said. With that Jareth grasped his walking stick in both hands and pulled apart the two ends. The top half of the wooden stick held a long thin dagger. He watched as Sarah's eyes became huge and fearful. He approached her quickly and steadily.

"Jareth, what are you doing? Jareth!" Sarah flinched away shielding her face in defense.

Jareth bent down and slit up the left seam of her grey pencil skirt. He felt a wave of warmth as he held her bare upper leg steady, his left hand encircling her smooth soft skin. Sarah became rigid when she became aware of his intentions. She had stopped breathing. He lifted his hands to her slim waste and shifted her body to attack the right seam. He was enjoying this very much indeed. When he had finished and he had resheathed the walking stick-dagger, he felt two beady fists beating down on his shoulders and chest.

"You stupid buffoon! You should warn me before you do something so… I am perfectly capable of slitting my own damn designer skirt!" He caught her right wrist in one steady swoop and pulled her towards him.

"Sarah… is this any way to repay a favor? " His breath was hot on her shoulder.

"I…I… you are infuriating." She looked up at him, her eyes shooting daggers.

"Perhaps, but you do seem more agile now don't you?" Jareth let go of her wrist, and she stepped away adjusting herself. She could still feel the heat of his touch on her inner thigh.

"Damn you, Jareth.", she mumbled before remembering herself. _Toby. Where did Toby go? _Her eyes darted before her in panic.

"He's over there, just ahead. See?" He gestured to her brother about two-hundred yards away. There is no danger here. "

"Ha! Apart from you, you mean? Toby!" Sarah called and gestured at her brother to come back. He walked back slowly towards them. She turned to Jareth, "Okay, Jareth. It's time to talk. Where are we? Where are we going? How are we going to get my mom back?"

"We are in Makers Land and we are going to Xumena to get a map and supplies among other things," Jareth said while treading forward, Sarah running after him clumsily.

"Jareth, you say you are a Maker, or creator, or whatever. Why can't you just wave a wand and make what we need?" Sarah said stumbling forward on another rock. "Oowh! My toe. That hurts." She continued limping after Jareth.

"I cannot 'make' here, Sarah."

"Could you please turn around and talk to me."

"Sarah," Jareth said, spinning around to face her, their bodies almost colliding. "You are wasting valuable time. You know time runs slower in your world, but it doesn't stand still. What will your step-mother think coming home to an empty house, I wonder? Now, I will answer all the questions I can when we get to Xumena. It's easier if I show you. "

Toby approached with his hands clasped one on top of the other. "Sarah, look what I found..." He opened his hands slowly to present a thin golden frog with red beady eyes. The frog observed Toby and Sarah with a calculative air before bounding gracefully out of Toby's grip and landing right on Sarah's shoulder. Sarah stopped moving and looked down at the gawking frog perched upon her shoulder.

"Toby!"

"Kiss it, maybe it will turn into a prince."

"I am not going to kiss a frog, Toby. Why is it sitting there ogling me?" The frog let out a resounding ribbet, opened its large mouth, and swiped her cheek with a long purple tongue. "Eeewh. Get it off me, please," Sarah pleaded turning her head away.

"It's not a prince," Jareth snickered. "But things are not what they seem, even in Makers Land." He shot the frog a look of warning, and shook his head "no." The frog looked longingly at Sarah slumped his beady-eyed-head in defeat, before leaping to the grass below. Sarah sighed in relief.

"Oh, I'm glad you found that amusing, Jareth," Sarah said sourly.

"What was that? " Toby asked, following the frog with his eyes.

"More questions," he baited Sarah. "Okay, Toby, I will answer you." Jareth responded eying Sarah. To his pleasure he saw her fuming, while trying to rub the frogs embrace with the palm of her hand. He continued walking on. "The frog was a maker. Makers are not allowed to use magic in Makers Land, save the confines of their place of birth. Those that do not abide the rule transform into frogs. It is usually a very effective deterrent. As you can see it is not always the case."

The three walked in silence, Sarah in trail fighting with her kitten heels, her dark hair bouncing in every direction. _This is horrible, _she thought. _I have no idea where we are going. What we are doing. I just got kissed by frog and the worst I am placing all my trust in… Jareth. I must be insane. And Toby is here. Why wouldn't he listen to me and stay behind? Then it would be just me and Jareth. _She shifted uncomfortably. _Me and Jareth alone…. On second thought, Toby is used to this sort of thing. He is strong and good company. And for the moment there doesn't seem to be any imminent danger. _She thought of Jareth coming at her with a dagger and then of Jareth holding her bare legs still. A flush of heat came to her cheeks. _He is so… infuriating. _ _Hasn't changed a bit. Still thinks he can waltz in with his sexy accent and…his stupid…sexiness… and seduce me out of my senses. Well, I'm not some naïve fifteen year old girl, now. I have had lots of experience. Okay, no, fine, I have had …some… experience. It doesn't matter. I still know better and I will not be seduced, by Jareth. I will not. _Sarah's mental tirade was interrupted by a stubborn root that sent her plunging arms first into Jareth's torso.

"Uh…sorry," Sarah said, awkwardly pulling herself away. _Oh, noo, _Sarah chided herself inwardly. _No. _ _That did not feel good, warm, or welcoming. _ Jareth looked down at her with a mischievous half grin. She pushed through the heat wave rising to her cheeks. "Let's keep going. We haven't got all day," she said staring defiantly at Jareth. _Insufferable man. _

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::

The change was so gradual it was almost imperceptible. When Sarah and Toby had arrived in the other world they could only see golden flowers stretching in every direction. They hadn't noticed with every step how the field grew narrower. About two hours into their journey they began to see forms to their left and right. As the field continued to narrow the shapes became more defined transforming from glinting mounds, to tiny half moons, to little silver houses with domed roofs. _We are in a town, _Sarah realized. The flowers now spanned the width of two football fields. She could just make out a couple human forms along both sides. The houses lined up in perfect rows were identical masses the color and appearance of stainless steel. The steel's soft reflection of blue sky and golden fields reminded Sarah of the Hudson River on a clear day.

"It's amazing," Sarah said in awe.

"It's Xumena," Jareth replied.

"What's that?" Toby asked pointing in front of him. Ahead of them they could see the field of flowers taper into a path. The path was leading to a large silver needle-like building.

"That is our destination," Jareth offered. "The Mortal Embassy."

"What are we are going to do there?" Toby insisted.

"All mortals venturing_ through_ our world must sign a sort of registry."

"Then why didn't we sign before?" Sarah asked.

"That, I will explain later."

"Of course," Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

Within a half hour they were passing the Mortal Embassy's gates. As they entered Toby and Sarah admired the large iron gates adorned with a shining golden sun. Sarah kept her gaze fixed on the gates as she passed. When the gates were behind her she watched as the sun transformed into a silver crescent moon.

"The gates are enchanted," Jareth informed.

They began to climb the silver stairs and approached a large silver arched doorway. The doors opened automatically and the three entered the building. Sarah gasped looking around her.

_There are no walls. _The inside of the Embassy was like one giant window without a frame. She could see sky, iron gates, silver domes and golden flowers, but she could not see a single wall. To her right a silver staircase spiraled up to the heavens. To her left an iron kiosk holding a thin slip of paper stood next to an iron bench. In front of her she saw a silver empty desk. The "room" was deserted.

"Go on, take a number," Jareth said, gesturing to the kiosk.

Sarah pulled a number, "1". Toby pulled a number, "2". The two looked at each other not sure what to do next. When nothing happened Sarah decided to give her tired legs a rest on the iron bench with Toby following suit. A large rectangular image appeared before them like a movie screen with gold backdrop. A short thin woman with black spiky hair emerged into view from shoulders up.

"Hello, and welcome to the Mortal Embassy," her silvery voice echoed throughout the room. "We are honored and privileged to have you join us in the Makers Realm. We are confident that you will enjoy your journey. Please let us know if you need any assistance for the duration of your stay. Before we begin the Mortal Registry let us go over some simple rules to help you fully appreciate your visit to our realm. There are 5 laws we impose on all mortal visitors." At that moment Sarah watched as an image of herself and Toby surfaced on the screen.

"Sarah Anne Williams, age 28, accompanied by Toby Drake Williams, age 14 in custody of Maker Jareth of the Jorg clan." _Custody?! _Sarah steamed. "Permission to journey forward in our realm will be granted upon the signing of the Mortal Registry. The Mortal Registry is a contractual binding document for the acceptance of 5 following mortal laws.

1. The mortal will not speak of the Makers Realm outside of the Makers Realm.

2. The mortal will not remove any possession from the Makers Realm.

3. The mortal will not injure any maker or their property.

4. The mortal will not intentionally leave the visual proximity of the maker of whom which they are in custody without consent.

5. For reasons of safety the mortal will abide by all demands imposed upon them by said maker.

Rest assured mortals, the maker will sign for the following 6TH and 7TH laws.

6. The maker will not abuse his authority.

7. The maker will not lie to their mortal ward.

Failure to adhere to the before mentioned laws will result in direct expulsion and memory modification for the mortal and temporary amphibian transformation for the maker. Thank you for your attention. An ambassador will be with you momentarily." The spiky haired woman grinned widely and the screen disappeared into nothing.

"What was that? This is ridiculous. There is no way I am signing myself over to be your chattel, Jareth," Sarah looked at him furiously. "Is this what you had in mind from the very beginning? To make Toby and I officially your possessions, slaves!? What on earth would possess you to think I would accept these conditions?"

"The conditions are there for your safety, Sarah. This place is never what it seems. I may have to protect you, even from yourself," Jareth said. "Furthermore, I have done only what you asked me to do. You demanded me to bring you here, and here you stand. You want to find your mother, here you are. Yet the method doesn't suit you..."

"But it's not…"

"What? Fair? Sarah, this sounds familiar."

"That's not what I was going to say," she huffed. "It's not…normal."

"Exactly. Normal does not exist here."

"And what about the fact that I didn't have to sign a contract the last time I was here, huh? Explain that to me," Sarah drilled.

Behind Sarah the short woman with the spiky hair from the screen now appeared at the silver desk.

"Number 1," she called.

"Sarah, she's calling you," Toby interjected.

"Not now, Toby."

Jareth let out an annoyed sigh and replied. "The last time you were on a Speck of Dust in the Black Hole of Creation. That doesn't require a short term visa, my dear. Think of the Goblin Kingdom as an airport and now you are in customs."

"Number 2," the spiky hair ambassador called.

"Jareth, how can I believe a word you are saying?"

"We'll sign the contracts and I cannot tell a lie. I'll turn into a golden frog, or haven't you heard?"

"Okay, fine. And what about Toby? Do you think I would let him be your charge for my sake? I want to find my mother but there isn't even a guarantee she's here. I cannot risk all this on a hunch, not with so much at stake." Sarah sighed heavily. "Please take us home. I don't want us to do this."

"It looks like you don't really have a choice," Jareth said, gesturing behind Sarah.

Sarah spinned around on her heels to find Toby posing down a golden quill on a golden piece of parchment. "Toby! NO! What are you doing? I swear you need a leash! You are under no circumstances staying here."

"Sare, it's okay. I want to help."

"Out of the question, Toby."

"No, if your mom is here, we have to find her. For you. I mean, if I could bring back Dad, I would. And I know you would help me."

"Toby, honey, I love that you want to do this for me, but listen to me. We are not staying. Jareth is going to bring us back."

"No," Jareth interrupted. "I won't."

Sarah glared hard at Jareth not wanting to believe her ears. "Jareth, don't do this. He's too young. This isn't even his quest."

"We will need him. You'll see."

"Jareth, please," Sarah looked up imploringly. "I know I mean nothing to you, and I know I haven't been exactly kind to you but please, I'm asking you to let us go back..."

Jareth breathed in heavily and said with a frown "What's done is done."

Sarah bowed her head in defeat, her eyes welling up with tears. She turned toward the spiky haired woman, walked over gravely and said "Fine. Where do I sign?"

* * *

A/N: Fun, fun, fun! I love creating a new world! I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if anything is unclear. Please review?


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Jareth, Toby or any other _Labyrinth _characters. I do own all Makers Realm characters. :)

* * *

Chapter Six

Down the rabbit hole.

Sarah stood alone in a tiny cubical studying her reflection. She looked as she felt, she decided. _Exhausted._ Jareth had brought her to one of the silver domes just outside of the Mortal Embassy. The domed building was the same as all the others except for a sign in iron letters reading: Superstore. Before entering Sarah thought the word 'superstore' was loosely applied, considering the surface of the small dome. Upon entering she found the building to have the same transparent walls as the Mortal Embassy. In front of her were two doors attached to two small cubicles. A young woman with pink wavy hair and a long white dress had gestured them in. She had presented herself as a sales assistant for the Superstore. Sarah looked around for merchandise but all she saw was the outdoors. The woman looked at Sarah and said, "You must be in need of a change of clothes," staring down at Sarah's ripped skirt. "Tell me what you were thinking about, anything you could imagine I can provide."

"A pair of Levis, size 4," had been prompt her reply.

"Could you be more specific Ma'am?"

"Uhm…a pair of stone washed, mid-rise, boot cut, size 4 Levis?"

"Anything else?"

Sarah, thought back to her comfortable wardrobe in Cambridge. "A baby blue, 100% cotton, fitted t-shirt with ¾ inch sleeves, and a grey button down cashmere sweater—size smalls. Oh, and a pair of brown leather ankle length boots—size 7. And socks, white ankle socks. Oh, and a black hair tie." Sarah looked at the sales woman with curiosity. The woman held out her arms in front her with her palms up, and a stack of clothing appeared. Sarah smiled approvingly and accepted the clothes.

"You can change in here." The woman opened a door to a tiny, lit cubicle with a floor length mirror.

"Thank you," Sarah said.

And there she stood in comfortable clothes with her hair attached in a loose braid down her back staring at her reflection numbly. _I hope this isn't a mistake. Please let everything work out alright. _She felt anger boiling to the service. _Wretched Jareth. I hate him. Tricking me into signing myself over to be his slave. _She heard Toby laughing. _Oh, Toby. What am I going to do with you? _She let out a loaded sigh. _Okay, let's do this. _Sarah looked down at her ensemble as a new thought came to her. _How am I going to pay?_

Sarah closed the door of the cubicle behind her, finding Toby conversing comfortably with the sales girl. The pink-haired girl let out of a squeal of laughter. _He's flirting! I should have asked for a leash. _

She found Jareth sitting arms folded on a bench adjacent to the dressing rooms. His eyes were closed and all the muscles in his face relaxed. He appeared peaceful. She studied him for a moment not sure what to do. _Is he sleeping? I should wake him. He has to pay. _Sarah approached slowly and bent over slightly_. _She stood frozen unsure of herself and watched to see if his breathing was slower than usual. She had never really watched him before. His face was rather sculpted, angular and fine. He had thin lips and slight cleft chin. Objectively he was attractive she thought. _ But, personally, I find his face infuriating. Every sculpted feature of it. Sitting there smugly sleeping. The nerve. Yes, I'll wake him. _Sarah drew back her right hand, her index finger at the ready, and began to drive her arm forward towards Jareth's torso, but before she could make contact Jareth had wrapped his right hand around her wrist.

"Sarah, can I help you?" he stated, his eyes still closed.

"Good. You're awake," was her curt reply. "I need you to pay."

"What, no please?" He said opening his mismatched eyes. "No thank you?"

"Please? Thank you? I don't think those words will ever cross my mouth in regards to you, Jareth."

"Sarah, say please. That's an order."

Sarah shot daggers and weighed her options. The idea of following orders appalled her but disobeying him would mean her expulsion from the Makers Realm and memory modification._ Toby would stay here alone with Jareth, and I would lose the chance to find my mother. _"Dammit Jareth! Fiiinne. Please. But you can't make me mean it."

"It's good enough...for now. Toby, grab those two bags and give one to your sister." he said, gesturing to two small backpacks by the sales girl. "It's time for us to go. Goodbye Erella. Say hello to your father for me." He gave the girl a smile, grabbed a new satchel at his feet and exited with Sarah and Toby trailing behind.

"But you didn't even pay!" Sarah said running up behind Jareth.

"What good would money be to anyone in Makers Land?"

Sarah considered his words. "Fine, the makers can make whatever they want in their own place of birth. Okay. Then why work? Why provide a service? Why not just live your own life, doing whatever you want? "

_"_Because, Sarah, Makers Land has in affect a Magical Trade Treaty between all their clans. Everything is free in every town. Traveling Makers cannot do magic away from their home town, so all towns provide magical services for those traveling makers. Of course there are limitations. Love or hate potions, for example, are explicitly forbidden."

"But how do you compensate the workers?"

"Sarah, imagine a world where poverty cannot exist," he said while walking. "A world where all your materialistic desires are met by your own making. There is no class system. For the most part makers are peaceful and honest with a desire to contribute. Their lives are driven not by a need to make money to provide for themselves and their family, but to contribute to the Maker Realm as an entity."

"What about school?" Toby inquired.

"Yes, we have schools."

"What about the government?" Sarah looked quizzically at Jareth and then continued to say, "You have laws. Who create the laws? Who imposes the laws? And your justice system?"

"Each town elects four representatives. One Maker of Laws. One Maker of Justice. One Keeper of the Peace. One Keeper of the Truth. The Makers of Laws are in direct liaison with the town for which they serve. They will come here to Xumena to serve together in the Assembly of Representatives. The Makers of Justice will go to the town of Araness. There they share the title of judge and jury. The Keepers of the Peace stay in their hometown. They detain any threats if needed. And the Keepers of the Truth spend their time in transit between the Halls of Half Truths and their hometown. They extract all knowledge from their hometown and transmit it to the Halls of Half Truths. Knowledge, is something magic cannot create. It is only learned. And that is why, Toby, even in Makers Land there are schools."

The three continued on in silence. Sarah lost in thought about the Maker Realm. It was unlike anything she had ever heard of. It wasn't purely communism or democracy, certainly wasn't a dictatorship. She wondered if their system worked. _I would think they'd have to be an extremely complacent people to live peacefully in such a way. _ Sarah watched as Jareth gestured toward a new silver dome and a new sign. "Last Stop Restaurant."

"Let's stop to eat. We have a long journey and I promised you both some more answers," Jareth said.

The three entered the dome to find a small restaurant with the same enchanted walls. The restaurant housed several round tables of various sizes all draped in white and red checkered tablecloths. There were two tables in use. A group of teenagers were sipping a bubbly green drink and joking merrily at one table. The other was occupied by about 20 people, almost all with the same red hair and fair complexion.

"The people in the Maker Realm go to restaurants to meet friends and family over a meal."

Sarah regarded the feast at the family's table. The children swapped plates. The adults savored exotic cuisine from the entire human globe. Then there were other dishes that looked unearthly to Sarah. They laughed and ate cheerfully. Jareth chose a table a small distance from the teenagers. The teenagers watched Toby and Sarah with an air of curiosity.

"Hello," a freckled roly-poly brunette said. "Fine day today. Don't you think?"

"Hello," Jareth nodded kindly to the girl. "It is indeed."

"There is some rain scheduled in about an hour, but it won't last long. My pop works for the Weather Tower. He said that this spring they want to try and divide up the rain increments to 6pm and 6am for about a half hour each. It should help the Flower Ally be especially gold this year. So, where are you from?"

"I am from Jorg, and they are from the Human Realm," Jareth replied.

"Get out! Real humans?" She said loudly. The restaurant fell silent, all eyes falling on Toby and Sarah. "What brings you here?"

"Duh," a kid adjacent to her said. "They are here to sign the Mortal Registry."

"Do you want to join us? Scooch Tabbi," she said waving over a young girl with yellow pig-tails. "See there is plenty of room," the girl beamed.

"I thank you for your offer, but I am afraid we must decline. We have some business to attend to and we cannot stay long." Jareth smiled kindly at the girl and nodded his head in salutation.

"Privacy is not one of the Makers Land's priorities," Jareth said when they were finally seated.

A waitress came to take their order, a BLT for Toby, and fish and chips for Sarah. Jareth ordered a slice of gorbig with honey potatoes and black squash. When the meal appeared on their table Sarah regarded the foreign plate of Jareth's. Under other circumstances she would have been inclined to sample a new exotic food, but this plate belonged to Jareth. Whom she despised, she reminded herself.

"I promised you answers. I will do the best I can." Jareth reached into his satchel and pulled out a folded parchment. "First, take a look at this. This is a map of the Makers Realm. This is very much unlike the world you know."

Sarah and Toby peered over the map. It was the form of a figure eight. The eight was as thick as a ribbon and overlapped in the center. "You see here…" he pointed to the center of the figure eight. This is the entrance to the Human World. "Here you are," He said, pointing to just above the entrance. _Xumena_ it read. "The ribbon-like area is Makers Land. It is where the makers live." He pointed to black holes in the center of the figure eight. "This is where the human and makers come to collaborate. It is the Black Hole of Creation. In it you will find nothing and anything."

"How is that possible?" Toby inquired.

"Simple. Should a maker decide to create for human dreams he will travel to the Human Realm find a creatively inspired human bring them to the Black Hole of Creation and he will create a Speck of Dust. The Specks of Dust are like stars floating in a galaxy, the galaxy being the Black Hole of Creation. They can only be created with collision of our two worlds, using a human's imagination and a maker's ability to create. When the fantasy is over and the human is sent home, the world the creator made becomes swallowed by the Black Hole. And he or she must return to Makers Land. "

"Wow, that is amazing," Toby offered.

"So, the Goblin City, when I left the entire city and my friends disappeared?"

"Exactly," Jareth replied.

"But that's so sad."

"Is it really? Your friends as you call them never really existed. You lead me to create them. I believe I remember a stuffed animal resembling a lot like Ludo in your bedroom, Sarah. The Escher room is a poster over your bed. The story of a kidnapped child by a Goblin King was in your fairy-tale book. If you ask me, I believe 'sad' isn't the right word. I breathed life into your childhood fantasy, Sarah. You should be grateful."

Sarah watched Jareth silently, no longer sure what to think or say. After a moment passed she asked, "Okay, and where in this world do we go to find my mother?"

"If your mother should be here we will find out by travelling here." He pointed to the top of the Black Hole of Creation. "and…here." He moved his finger straight down to the bottom of the Black Hole of Creation. "The first being the Hall of Half Truths, the second being The Other Hall of Half Truths. The two halls share all the knowledge of Makers Land. Together we may discover the truth about your mother's whereabouts. If she is indeed from here, as you believe."

"How do we get there?"

"There are two ways to travel to the Halls of Half Truths. Either we take the train through Makers Land or we cross directly the Black Hole of Creation. I am inclined to take the train. It is two times longer than the Black Hole but it is a lot safer."

"Can't we just create a plane in the black hole?" Toby questioned. "We'll get there in a jiffy."

"In theory we could be a sort of rolling Speck of Dust, but the Black Hole has thousands of Specs of Dust in any given time. Around each of them there is a force field not unlike a black veil. Travelling through the Black Hole we may come in direct contact with other Specks of Dust. The problem lies in the world created by the other maker. Imagine we are flying a plane I created. All is peaceful with nothing but blue skies ahead, and then we collide with an unseen Speck of Dust from another maker. We become one with that world but my powers are useless in the other Maker's world. My plane no longer exists, and we are left free-falling from 30,000 feet."

"How long will it take by train?" Sarah asked.

"A couple days."

"What is that in mortal time?"

"There are about six hours in the Makers Realm for every hour that passes in your world, so forty-eight hours would be eight hours in your world."

"Mom is gonna' freak," Toby said with a sigh. "Maybe we should take our chances on the Black Hole."

"Believe me Toby, she would _freak_ less if I bring you back alive," Sarah vetoed. "So we take the train." she sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Irene. I will try to get Toby back as quickly as possible." And with that she pushed out her chair and stood up looking down at Toby and Jareth. "Okay, Jareth take us to the train station."

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A/N: I will try to make it clearer. So, overall I think this chapter may come off a teensy bit dull. But there was some much needed explaining to do! I hope you enjoyed it anyway. A review please?


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Jareth, Toby or any other _Labyrinth _characters. I do own Jeminy and all other Makers Realm characters.

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Chapter Seven

The tides of change.

The train station was one silver dome down from the restaurant. Entering the small station the trio was greeted by an elderly man wearing half-moon spectacles with a bushy white mustache and eyebrows. "Welcome, welcome…" the man said eagerly. "Please, please come. Don't be shy. How can I be of service? You've come for the next train, I reckon. Well, you've come to the right place. Yes, indeedy." A large rip of thunder shook the ground followed by a bright flash of light. Sarah looked up to see rain pouring down from the sky and running along the sides of the building. _Like a large see-through umbrella_, she thought. "Don't mind that, Cherie," the cheery old man continued, "We are just watering the Golden Ally. It won't delay your departure. So you two are the human folk, eh? How about that? Look at you young lady, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he said looking towards Sarah before turning to Toby. "And you, you're a handful if I ever saw one." The old man grinned from ear to ear and then darted back to Jareth. "Bet they keep you on your toes, eh?" he said with an elbow nudge.

"Yes, in fact they do," Jareth nodded his head cordially.

"How did you know it was us?" Toby asked taking an instant liking to the charismatic old man.

"How could I not. You have mortal written all over you. I used to be a maker, out _there _you know. I know a human boy when I see one. Plus all the town's a buzz. We don't receive many mortals through these parts."

"But the Mortal Embassy is here," Sarah said surprised.

"Even so. You'll see…you'll be celebrities in all of Makers Land even before the next stop." Sarah frowned warily. She was hoping to maintain a certain level of anonymity during their journey.

Jareth riffled through his satchel to retrieve three cards. "Here are our identification numbers I believe you will need to record us in the travel docket."

"Yes, yes very well." The old man took the cards and bent down to pick up a large brown leather bound book. He opened the book up to the last entry and picked up a black fountain pen. He held the pen above the three cards. Sarah watched as a part of the ink from the ID cards seemed to gravitate upward towards the pen. He then tapped the book with the pen and their names and ID numbers floated down from the enchanted pen to the pages of the book.

"That's a nifty trick," Toby said.

"One of my own innovations… I enchanted the pen to be in my handwriting as well. See?" He showed the entry to Toby. The scribbles were illegible.

"When is the train scheduled to leave?" Sarah asked

"It leaves when you are on board, cherie. It's impossible to miss."

"Do we need a ticket?"

"A ticket, she says! No, my dear. No ticket in Makers Land. In all my many years as conductor we have never needed such a thing. We operate on trust alone."

"Oh, you are the conductor?" Sarah asked.

"Oh my, where are my manners!? I'm Jeminy Xumena XVIII, and I will be your conductor." The old man stood up straight pointed to his head where a navy conductor's hat with gold rim appeared. Then he took it off in a round sweep, bowing his head in introduction. "My wife always says, 'introductions first!' but some habits die hard. Especially for old man like myself. But I am off topic. I am the conductor, but I don't do so much conducting as overseeing. The train is electric and runs by itself…but in case of any issues I'll be the one to work out the kinks while in NMZ (No Magic Zone). You see I studied Electrical Engineering at MIT and I was a Train mechanic in Texas the 1980's. So I can do just about anything. "

Sarah eyes widened in shock. "You lived in the human world?"

"Yes, ma'am. But it's tough. We live longer here, yes, but 4 years of schooling in your world is 24 years for us in the Makers Realm."

"Wow! How old are you then?"

"Toby! That is not an appropriate question."

"No it's fine. I'll be six-hundred-and-seventy-six this year." Toby and Sarah stared at the man in silence. "Well don't just stand there. Let's board the train. Just up there." He gestured to a stairway across the umbrella room. "You will need these." He handed the three umbrellas from a stand next to the door.

"Six-hundred-and-seventy-six years old!" Toby said finally

"Toby!"

"What? That's a lot of years!" Toby defended himself. The old man moved in front guiding them up the long stairway.

"It's still a good age for a Maker. And he is aging with grace," Jareth told them when they were just out of earshot of the old conductor.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked curiously.

"He is letting himself age. Most Makers choose to be in their peak physical years for the span of their lifetime, and even then noses are magically shrunk , freckles removed, eye sight corrected. But he has chosen to let nature take its course. It is a very respectable path, as it shows he is has complete peace within himself."

"How old are you then?" Toby asked.

"I'll tell you if you guess correctly, but first let's board."

Sarah continued to mount the stairway to _Heaven_, lost in thought. She hadn't before considered the possibility of makers living among humans. _Why didn't I think of it before? _Her grandmother came from this Land. _Mortals are rarities here._ _That would mean my Grandmother was likely a maker, or is a maker. Consequently my mother probably is a maker too. My mother isn't human? _Her breathing became heavy, and the sky above her seemed to spin. A new thought was building in the recess of her brain. _No, I won't let that thought out._ _No, no, no. Don't access it. _She tried to concentrate on her walk up the long stairway. She could see nothing but sky all around her. _No, Sarah, don' think it. Look up. It's such a pretty sky. My head hurts. _She furrowed her brows and pursed her lips. _We've been walking for awhile now. Good, change the subject entirely. _

"Hey Sare, you okay? You look like you are going to be sick."

"Toby," she said with a forced smile. The muscles on her face relaxed a bit. "I'm okay. I think I'm just a little tired." She exhaled heavily. _Oh crap. Here it comes. The thought…. _

_I'm half human,_

_ half maker._

And with that Sarah hurled her upper body over the stairwell railing and vomited onto the dome below.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

After Toby had witnessed his sister vomiting over the side of the stairwell he had insisted that he be a human crutch until they landed on the platform. He didn't know exactly what was wrong with her. She had mumbled something about heights and vertigo. He remembered their trip to the Empire State building when he was six. _I was the one afraid to look down, _he thought. _She had practically stuck her head between the bars for a better look. _Something else was bothering her and it irritated him that she wouldn't tell him the truth. _She always sees me a kid. I'm fourteen already. I can handle it. _

When the three had finally reached the sky platform, Toby looked around in awe. "This place is awesome!"

The platform was all shiny silver that mirrored the rainbow peeking through the sky, but the most compelling sight was the small train itself. The train was not sitting on rails but hung by a sophisticated suspension railing. It had a deep green with the metallic sheen base but a body and roof made entirely of glass. The front of the train tapered off into a blunt cone. Beyond the glass and into the train he could see two rows of burgundy recliner sofa chairs facing the windows. He could see vending machines, and an area closed off to the public eye. _That must be the toilet. _

"The train is equipped for small journeys. We don't run overnight, in case we get stuck in NMZ. But I can make it an Express to Filcher if you would like. We would arrive just before night fall." Jeminy informed.

"Yes, the quicker the better," Jareth agreed.

"Okay direct route to Filcher it is. If you have any special requests for the trip, tell me now and I can provide whatever you like."

"Oh, that includes reading material?" Toby asked

"Yes, my boy. Whatever your heart desires."

"Awesome. I would like all 18 volumes of the Black Bird Manga, a pint of Rocky Road ice cream, a six pack of Dr. Pepper, and a Chipotle steak burrito with the works. "

"Toby, you don't need all of that!" Sarah retorted.

Toby smiled glad to see his sister in better spirits. "Volume 2 of Black Bird, and a Mars bar, please."

"Done," Jeminy said handing Toby his reading material and chocolate bar. "What about you, miss?"

"Please call me, Sarah," Sarah replied. "Is their bottled water onboard?"

"Yes ma'am…Sarah."

"Then I am okay, thank you."

"And you, sir?" he said looking towards Jareth.

"Thank you, I am fine," Jareth smiled warmly at Jeminy.

"Okay. Then we can set off. Choose any seat you'd like," Jeminy said as the four climbed aboard the glass train.

Toby and Sarah chose recliners next to each other and Jareth chose a seat in the corner of the train. He pivoted the recliner towards the nose of the train and closed his eyes directly.

Toby opened his manga and began to fumble through the familiar pages. It was very hard to focus. _So many things have happened today. I think my head might explode with information. _He watched as the funny old man pointed his finger to the control board to start the engines. The man sat adjacent to Jareth, and pulled out a book from the pocket of the recliner. The engines purred softly and he felt his body lurch to the left. _And we're moving. _Toby ran mentally through the events of the day. It felt like a week had passed in one day, and months had passed in one week. He sat back and watched Sarah from the corner of his eye. _Sarah needs this. I have to be here for her. Whatever she finds out about her mom, I want to be by her side. Everyone thinks they have to take care of me. But in the end, I'll take care of her. Like Dad would have. _Toby stretched, yawned, rested his eyes and fell fast asleep.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::

"Excuse me, Jeminy. Could I have a word?" Sarah looked down at the old man reading quietly to himself.

"Words do not require magic. Words I can give you in spades, even in No Magic Zone." The old man grinned at her through his half moon glasses. "What can I help you with, Sarah?"

Sarah looked over her shoulder at Jareth and Toby. Both appeared to be sleeping. "I'm not sure where to begin. Or rather I'm not sure what you know."

"About what?"

"Well, why we are here for one."

"I haven't the slightest idea, cherie. But you can tell me if you feel the need."

"We are looking for my mom. You see, I believe she is here. And my Grandma is here, I think. I have no proof exactly, just a vague letter and a gut feeling." Sarah pulled out the folded letter she had tucked away into her Levis and shakily handed it to the old man. "I have never seen paper like this before. Is it from Maker's Land?"

"Yes." He regarded the letter carefully. "The paper is from a tree called Orliper. You will note it has a distinct smell. It is also thicker, but lighter than the paper you know. However, we haven't used this type of paper in over a century at least. It gave off a yellow hue with time, making it hard to read."

Sarah sighed heavily at his response. "The letter is from my grandmother and to my mother. She tells her she will have a hard time adapting to her new life, in her new world. And that it is a world without magic."

"Oh," the old man said, his eyes widening in surprise. He tilted his head and regarded her curiously.

"Yes. So, I have a couple of questions, you see."

"Yes, I imagine you do."

"If my grandmother was, or is, a maker, that would make my mom a maker. Presuming you can't have a mortal from two makers. And presuming you are born and not made."

"Makers are very much like humans. We search for our other halves to share in the rest of our lives. When we do find them we want to make a family. Women can birth a baby naturally, or they can 'make' one with the help of their spouse. Most women choose to 'make' a child with their partners for reasons of comfort and health. Sometimes a rare woman will find that natural pregnancy and child birth creates a bond with their child that is 'unmakable'. But in either case, a maker and a maker will make maker."

"That's a lot of 'making'," Sarah grinned halfheartedly. "So if my mother is a maker and my father is a mortal, what am I?"

"I wish I knew. I have heard stories, or legends rather, of cases like yours. I have heard that a mortal and maker will birth a mortal, or a half mortal and half maker. I have also heard a legend that a mortal and a maker will create a sort of super power hybrid. The truth is you are an enigma to us. Laws are set for no maker to have love relations with their dreamers in the Makers Realm. Those rules do not apply in your world, she sacrificed a lot to be with him. It must have been quite a love story."

"Yes, they were very much in love. Though, I hadn't thought about the sacrifice she had to make."

"What we wouldn't do for love, eh?" he gestured towards Jareth and smiled coyly.

"What? No, it's not like that," Sarah said quickly.

"It isn't? He is sure taking on a lot for you two."

Sarah shifted uncomfortably. She hadn't thought of that either. From the moment Jareth had reappeared in her bedroom she had thought of him as only the Goblin King. He was a childhood villain to her. _But he isn't the Goblin King, he is a Maker of Dreams. _She still wasn't sure if she could trust Jareth, but from what she could see he was trying to help. And without him, she wouldn't even be here. _Why is he helping me? _ Sarah looked over to the sleeping Jareth. She felt ashamed. _I have been so_ _rude, _she thought. _Ungrateful, even. I will have to make it right somehow._ She shook her head and brought her attention back to the subject at hand, "If I was half mortal and half maker, or this super hybrid I would have shown signs by now, I'd think. I must be just a mortal."

"Surely you are right," the old man smiled at her warmly.

"One other question, I only have my mother's first name. I don't know what clan she came from, but perhaps you have heard of her?

"Maybe I can help if her name is uncommon. What is it?"

"Her name is Olina."

Jeminy's face turned ash white. A moment passed before he responded, "No. I don't think I have met her."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::

Jareth had been listening closely to their conversation. He had hoped that Sarah wouldn't be burdened with this realization so soon. _ Another weight to add on her tiny shoulders. _

What exactly was she? From the beginning he felt there was something special about Sarah. She was more imaginative than his other dreamers. And the worlds he had created with her were so vivid and detailed. Of course she wouldn't remember any of them. All she remembered was the Labyrinth where he played the child robbing Goblin King. The villain. _Sarah, I don't want to be your villain. _The way she looked at him now, she could freeze fire with that icy glare. _At least she isn't bombarding me with questions. I would be forced to tell her everything I know, with the contract I signed. _He thought back to the exchange they had at the Mortal Embassy. He had nearly caved and agreed to take her back home. She asked so earnestly. She told him that she knew he didn't like her. _She thinks I'm being cruel._ _The truth is my dear Sarah, I can't take you home now. I made you a promise I intend to keep. Even if kills us both to do it. Besides, if you went home now you wouldn't be able to live with yourself. You would never stop wondering about your mother. And you will need, Toby. If the Halls of Half Truth give you the truth I fear, you will need someone to cry on. _ _I can't be that person. _

Jareth opened his eyes and stretched his long limbs. They would be arriving soon. He stood up and walked back toward the vending machines in pursuit of something to drink. Sarah was standing in the alcove with her back towards him. She was looking below at the rolling countryside, a bottle of water in her crossed arms. His pulse began to race, as it often did when he saw Sarah. _This woman, this feisty firecracker. How I love to provoke her. _Jareth thought back to the night thirteen years ago in the Escher room. He had offered her everything, and she had rejected him. _She rejected the Goblin King, not me. _He remembered her heavy words from earlier in the day, "You are a wretched…something…that cares only for himself." Every sentence she said to him since was dripped in disdain. _I wanted her to stay and leave behind everything she knew. I was selfish and foolish, and then made ridiculous by a girl a fraction of my age. Sarah, you were right to cast me aside. A mortal in a maker's world, it would only end in disaster. Not to mention the legalities. _He watched Sarah's back with longing for a minute, her beautiful graceful form. _No, little girl, I won't let you in, _he decided. _I need to keep myself guarded, or I'll be made selfish and foolish again, and I will end up a villain. _

Jareth, pushed a button on the vending machine and felt Sarah's body turn toward his direction.

"It is so beautiful here," she said smiling at him. "I have never seen such rich colored woods. And the town back there was all…I don't even know how to describe it… like it was draped in this pearly sheen. Is it like this throughout Makers Land?"

"Yes," was his blunt response.

"Why would you ever want to leave?" Sarah smiled forgetting herself.

"Sarah," Jareth saidy coldly. "We are not friends." He felt awful the moment he had said it. _What was that?__ I don't have to be cruel to guard myself. _

"Uh..." Sarah looked at him bewildered. "I know. I just figured we are going to be spending a lot of time together and…"

"What, we make the best of it?" he said unable to stop himself.

Sarah watched Jareth, confusion in her eyes. He had never spoken cruelly towards her. "Never mind, forget it."

The train interrupted their conversation with a sudden, powerful jolt of resistance. The lights went out and Sarah's body lunged forward. Her body banged against a glass wall. Cracking the thick glass. The train regained momentum before another wave of resistance sent Sarah reeling forward again. This time Jareth swept in to catch her, wrapping her small frame in his wide embrace. His back was thrust against the vending machine. The train screeched to a halt and the two stood unmoving.

"Is everyone okay?" Jeminy looked about frantically.

"Sarah?!" Toby shouted.

"I'm okay. We are right here." Sarah said as Jareth released her and stepped away. She looked at her baby brother in concern, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Toby reassured. "What happened?" he asked Jeminy.

Sarah turned back to Jareth. He had held her so tight. _What would have happened if he hadn't been there to help me? _ "Thank you," she said in earnest with an unyielding stare. Jareth stood unmoved, looking straight ahead and pretending not to hear.

* * *

A/N: This was a fun chapter to write. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review?

The rest will come a little slower...as they have yet to be transferred from my head to the keyboard. Hope you continue to read :)


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Jareth, Toby or any other Labyrinth character. I do own all Makers Realm characters... Enjoy the story!

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Chapter Eight

Tangled web.

Jareth followed Jeminy into the engine room of the train. "How strange," the old man said in bewilderment.

"What just happened?" Jareth asked

"I'm not sure, yet," Jeminy said flipping a switch on a large control board. The train lit up again. "The train is equipped with an automatic brake system in the case of engine failure, but the automatic braking is gradual, not abrupt as we felt. I need to investigate further." He looked up at Jareth, "It could take a couple of hours at least."

"We can wait."

"No, no, don't be silly. Filcher is about an hour's hike from here. Go on ahead to the Inn. You all need a good night's rest. I'll be behind you with the train by morning." Jeminy looked to the doorway where Toby had just entered.

"Do you have a first aid kit onboard?" he asked.

"Why? What's wrong?" Jareth asked abruptly.

"Oh, it's nothing serious, I think. But Sarah seems to have a couple of cuts on her back."

Jareth sped out of the control room to check on Sarah. She sat on a recliner bent forward at the waist, her blood stained sweater removed and the back of her shirt pulled up over her shoulders. Her exposed back was covered in blood.

"I think it looks worse than it feels. It doesn't really hurt, much. Probably some rubbing alcohol and a bandage will be fine."

Jeminy handed Jareth a small silver pack with a red cross on it. Jareth opened the pack and pulled out cotton wipes and a pink solution. He ran the wet cotton wipes along her back. He watched Sarah's shoulders tense up as he applied the pink solution to her abrasions. After wiping her back clean he discovered three large scrapes, one relatively deep. He applied pressure to the one, and asked Toby to help him bandage the other two. After a moment he said, "Yes, we'll leave, Jeminy. We'll go to the Inn. They will be able to mend her, and then we will rest for the night. We should go now. As it is, the sun is beginning to set." He looked at Sarah while placing the bandage on her upper shoulder. "Are you good to walk?"

"Yes, I'm fine really," Sarah said. "Thank you for your help." She watched Jareth as he stood up and collected his satchel and walking stick. Next he grabbed the two backpacks he had acquired for Sarah and Toby in Xumena.

"Toby, could you help your sister up?" He then looked at Jeminy, "Now, how do we get down?" Sarah and Toby shot each other a look. Sarah's eyes widened imaging herself scaling a rope thousands of feet below.

"There are the training the back," he pointed behind them. Sarah saw a lever in the back of the train. _That must be a door but I can't see any hinges. All I can see is sky. _A sign above it read, "Emergency Elevator Pod."

"You could come with us. The train will be easier to repair in the daylight I'm sure," Sarag said.

"I don't want to leave her unattended. Go on, I'll be fine."

Jareth's long stride reached the glass door in a matter of seconds. "Well then, we'll leave you to it. You know where we'll be." He opened the transparent door and gestured Toby and Sarah towards him. "After you," he said.

Sarah's eyes became two round saucers. The door opened up to nothing, just sky. Stepping through the threshold she would plummet thousands of feet below. Sarah sighed remembering the tricks she had seen in the Labyrinth. _Maybe it doesn't. _ _Maybe I am just taking it for granted that it does. _ Sarah inched forward with uncertainty and was relieved to feel a hard surface under her right foot on the other side of the threshold. With growing confidence she stepped forward onto the glass elevator. _Glass, again? _Her heart began to pound looking down below her. She was sure the glass would break under her weight.

"Not to worry, Sarah, that glass, like all the glass of the _exterior_ of the train is more solid than steel. It's enchanted glass. One of my own innovations." Jeminy said in encouragement. Toby and Jareth followed Sarah onto the glass elevator. "Be safe. I won't be far behind you," the old man said to them with a large warm smile.

"See yah," Toby said.

Sarah waved goodbye and Jareth bowed his head respectfully to Jeminy as he closed the door. Jareth said, "down please," and the glass elevator floated slowly down. Sarah watched Jeminy shrink to a point above her before she shifted her gaze around her. The glass elevator sunk further down the troposphere. It felt like she was on a cloud surrounded by red and gold and sky. She felt scared and exhilarated at the same time. Travelling in the Makers Realm was so much more interesting than back at home.

"Wow," Toby said breaking the silence.

The silence took over again as the three watched the sun set on the horizon. The gold and red turned to purple and blue, and with that their first day in the Makers Realm had ended. Moments later they had landed softly on solid ground.

Jareth handed Toby a backpack and held out the other in front of him.

"These are pre-stocked survival packs. There is some basic survival gear inside," Jareth said nodding to Toby's backpack.

"It feels empty to me," Toby opened the pack and felt around. "There's nothing in it."

"They were enchanted," Jareth replied. "Watch." Jareth held his hand above the open backpack and said, "Flashlight." He stuck his hand into the backpack and pulled out a large flashlight.

"That's awesome!" Toby grinned widely. "Flashlight." He pulled out a second flashlight. "Hey but I thought this was No Magic Zone?"

"It is, that is why they were enchanted before leaving Xumena. Let's move then, we still have about an hour's walk."

The three set out in the darkness, Toby trying out new commands with his backpack, Sarah and Jareth walking in silence shoulder to shoulder.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sarah looked out her room's window. She could never have imagined such a sight. Filcher was composed of thousands of large hexagonal cells interconnected and densely packed around a large lake. _ It was the inside of a beehive,_ she thought. The little cells were the homes of the Filcher clan. Ladders and bridges crossed all along the honeycomb. Yellow lights glowed in every cell and the misty lake let off an amber hue. The Inn itself was attached to a strip in the middle of the Filcher community, suspended in air above the lake. She blinked again, not sure if she could believe her eyes.

She heard a knock at the door. Sarah moved to the door and looked out the peephole. Jareth was there with a young woman. She opened the door.

"Good evening," the woman sang.

"Hello," Sarah said, unsure what to say.

"I'm Rokana, I'm here to mend you."

"Oh yes, please come in," Sarah said stepping aside to let the woman and Jareth in. "My name is—"

"Sarah, I know. It is a pleasure to meet you. It is an honor for me to mend a mortal."

"Huh?" Sarah looked at Jareth confused, and then smiled remembering the words of Jeminy. _I'm a celebrity here. _She looked curiously at the woman. She was young to be a doctor she thought. She had no supplies with her. _What exactly will she do to mend me? _Sarah had begun to understand the Makers Realm. _Something tells me this will be nothing like the conventional health care from the US. _

"Could you show me your back, miss?" the cheerful woman said. Sarah looked at Jareth. Jareth turned around to face the wall. Sarah pulled her blue tee-shirt over her head and turned her back toward the woman.

"I don't think it's serious. Do you think I will need stitches?" Her back began to tickle where the abrasions were. "If you use sutures that is, I'm not sure how you mend here. Is it a long process?"

"There," the girl said, "all done."

"It's done?" Sarah lifted her arm over her head to feel her upper shoulder. _Smooth skin. I can't even feel a scar._ _It's gone. _"Wow that is amazing. I didn't feel a thing. Can every maker do that?"

"If they studied anatomy," the woman grinned. "We are many who can. We love knowledge. I'm sure Jareth could too, if he was in the Black Hole or in his home town."

"Wow, a world without the need of a health care system, or health insurance for that matter."

"Yes, I suppose in some aspects we are lucky," the woman smiled. "I run the Inn, so I have taken the liberty of filling up your closet. You should find something for tonight and tomorrow. There are also towels and beauty products in the bathroom. I wasn't sure what you use, so I provided the basics."

Sarah walked over to her closet to find an assortment of ¾ inch tee-shirts, cashmere sweaters, and Levis jeans. _And all in my size. I guess word does travel fast here. _Perfectly folded in a shelf next to her was a little pink cami, cotton flowered draw string trousers and under garments. _Pyjamas even. _"Thank you, very much. It is very thoughtful of you."

"It's nothing, really. Do you need anything else before we leave you?"

Sarah regarded Jareth carefully. His back still turned. She pulled on her dirty tee-shirt not wanting to stain the clean ones in her closet. She would take a shower after they left she thought. "No, I don't think so. Jareth, you can turn around now."

He turned around and observed her quietly.

"If you need anything at all, there is the phone next your bed. You just pick it up and say, 'Rokana,' I'll get the message directly. Breakfast is available downstairs at the dining hall."

"We'll leave directly after breakfast," Jareth said. "Is seven AM too early for a wakeup call?"

"No that's perfect, thank you," she said hoping for some reaction from Jareth.

"Okay, I will arrange for that," the woman said cheerily. "Have a good night, Miss Sarah."

"Goodnight, Rokana…Jareth." Sarah walked the two to the door and watched as Jareth frowned and closed the door behind him.

_What was that? Not even a half smile, _she thought stripping off her clothes before a large Italian style shower. She looked around for a shower knob, but could see none. _Is it an enchanted shower? Choose the right words. _"Warm water." Luke warm water dripped from the ceiling. "Hotter, more pressure…" she continued to adjust the water to her liking. She stepped into the shower and she stood hoping the water would wash away all the stress from the day. _We are almost there to the Halls of Half truths. I'll know something soon. _She sighed heavily, remembering Jareth's words from earlier that day. "We are not friends." But then he's helping her. _And he saved me. _The way he looked at her now, she couldn't understand. His words and his new attitude were contradictions to his actions. _We weren't friends, s_he grinned deciding something, _but we will be, Jareth. You will find I can be quite convincing once I put my mind to something, and I have decided we will be friends. _

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The next morning Sarah entered the dining hall as the sun was just beginning to rise. She found her brother already at a table with a small feast before him. Steaming hot pancakes, fried eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, and biscuits and gravy overwhelmed the table. _That looks delicious, _she thought._ Good, I'm starving_.

"What no fruit, this morning?" she teased Toby.

He stuffed a piece a toast in his mouth while he lifted a glass of orange juice in contradiction. "Juice," he said swallowing.

"Oh, my mistake," Sarah smiled while looking around. "Where is Jareth?"

"I don't know. He left before I got up this morning."

"He did?" Sarah's heart began to pound. "He didn't say anything about leaving, or when he would be back?"

"Not to me."

"That's strange."

"I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"You're probably right. He probably went to meet Jeminy. He'll be here any minute."

A half an hour later Sarah found herself sitting at the table with Toby, staring at the clock above her in the hall. She sighed in worry. _What if doesn't come back? _She hadn't realized how much she had leaned on Jareth here. The idea of being stuck in the Makers Realm without him terrified her. But certainly he wouldn't leave her. Sarah let out a loaded sigh as she remembered the events from the day before. Jareth had been angry with her. Hadn't he? He said they weren't friends, but then why had he helped to begin with? Did he decide she wasn't worth the trouble? _I'm such an idiot. Why did I have to be so rude before? Of course he decided to leave, and rightly so. He offered his help and I repaid him in insults. _

The two sat in silence, Sarah shifted her chair to look out a large bay window. In the daylight the town was even more amazing. She watched as the makers worked together to build a new set of hexagonal cells. They wore construction caps piecing steel beams together that appeared out of nowhere. _What an amazing world,_ she thought to herself. _If Jareth doesn't come back for us, would someone else send me and Toby back? Or would we live here among the makers in Filcher? What would it be like, to live here? Would we still be able to find my mother? What if Toby could never go back to Irene? _

Her thoughts became increasingly bleak as she felt the minutes turn to an hour and then one hour to two hours. She wanted to ask Rokana if she had heard from Jareth. She had even attempted to call her name. But there was no Rokana, and there was no Jareth. _Where are they? What if something happened to them? _

"Are you two ready to go?" Jareth's husky voice came from behind her.

"Jareth!" she leaped from her seat in relief. "What happened? Where have you been? You should tell someone before taking off like that. " the words escaped before she had time to calm herself.

"You are scolding me now? I don't think I require your permission, Sarah," Jareth said in a steady voice.

"Permission!? It's not like that, and you know it. I was worried," Sarah shot back. _Calm down Sarah, _she thought to herself, _why are you getting so worked up?_

"Worried, about me?"

"Worried that you had left us," her temper flared.

Jareth closed the gap between Sarah and himself, their faces inches apart. Looking down at her, he said in a steady strong voice, "Sarah, I made you a promise. I will see to it until the end." At that moment he grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. "Do I still feel like a man to you? I haven't turned into a golden frog?"

"No, you have not," she replied while swallowing a lump in her throat.

"There you go. You know what I say is true. Now you can stop worrying that pretty little head of yours." Jareth finished and let go of her wrist. "Let's go we have a train to catch."

_Great start, _Sarah thought. _Jareth and I are on our way to becoming the best of friends. _

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Jareth didn't like the dark place he found himself in. He wished he could go back to teasing and provoking Sarah, to get a rise out of her. But, the more time he spent with her the more he felt it was necessary to distance himself from her. He felt bad for lashing out at her, but whether she was being feisty, warm, or concerned he felt he wanted her even more. He was angry at himself and he lashed out at the cause. _Things would be easier if she was a maker_, he thought. But he didn't have time to dwell on what was said and done. They had to leave Filcher, quickly.

Jareth led them to the Filcher train station. He dreaded the questions that would soon come. He wondered how he could get around the truth. He hadn't expected this when deciding to help Sarah. He had heard wind of the brotherhoods advancements. He knew they were becoming more aggressive, but he hadn't expected them to come so far inland. _Tricky, tricky, _Jareth thought. The three approached the large hexagonal building and were greeted by a tall man with a thin wiry mustache. _Here we go._

"Hello, my name is Golianas. I will be your conductor today. I hear you are travelling to the Hall of Half Truths. I can take you as far as Limidus, on the Express."

"Golianas, hello. My name is Sarah this is Toby. It's nice to meet you," Sarah said looking at the man before her.

"Could I have your travel identification, please?" Golianas asked. Jareth handed the man the three cards. "Excuse me. I will just jot these numbers down."

Sarah turned toward Jareth. "Where is Jeminy?" she asked.

"Jeminy couldn't make it," Jareth replied. _That one was easy. _

"Oh, that's too bad. Why what happened?" Toby asked.

"I don't know the details."

"What, why?" Sarah, asked. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know _where_ he is. He hadn't arrived here this morning, so I had went back to check on him. He wasn't there."

"And the train?" Sarah continued her questions.

"It was there."

"But he wasn't on it. What is going on?"

"I don't know precisely."

"Did you call the authorities?"

"What authorities? I called the Keeper of the Peace here in Filcher.

"And?"

"He doesn't know for sure."

"Has he an idea?"

"I think so, yes."

"The idea being?"

"Something he is unsure of."

"Why do I feel like I'm talking circles, Jareth. Will you tell me what is going on?"

Jareth sighed, "No."

"What? Why? Does it have something to do with the reason you were so late this morning?"

"Yes."

"Why can't you tell me?" Sarah looked at him worried.

"Because, it may alarm you."

"Alarm me?! " She looked over to Toby who was listening intently. "Toby, please excuse us," she said pulling Jareth to the side. "Jareth, please. I am an adult, you don't have to protect me. Tell me yes or no, was Jeminy abducted?"

"I don't know," as soon as the words left his mouth Jareth wished he could take them back. He knew exactly what those three words would cost him. _Shit,_he thought and the tall handsome man with an angular face turned into a golden frog.

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A/N: How do you like me now? Lol. Are you mad I turned Jareth into a frog?! Please review!


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Jareth, Toby or any other Labyrinth character. I do own all of the Makers Realm. Enjoy the read!

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Chapter Nine

The uprising.

Jareth thought he had been magically transported to the Black Hole of Creation. He was surrounded by blackness, but moments later the blackness gave way to his heightened senses. First, there was an overwhelming, distinct odor that began to fill his nostrils. Second, his improved night vision informed him that he was not in blackness, but in shades of grey. And finally, without so much as turning his head, his 360° vision showed him a soft glow of an opening behind him. He was in a shoe, his own shoe.

Jareth, considered his predicament. He was a frog stuck in a shoe. He wanted to face the humility and get help from Sarah and Toby, but first he had to get his little frog legs to work. _And therein lies the rub._ _How to walk like a frog after spending a 120 years as a man_? Jareth looked down at his large golden webbed feet and worked his eyes back to his bony "knees" centered on two hefty legs. _Hmm…frog legs,_ he thought. _I don't think I will eat that French delicacy again. _After trying a few different maneuvers he managed a waddle towards the exit of the shoe. Once at the opening of the shoe his beady eyes looked up for Sarah and Toby. The two giants were loudly shaking his clothes out. _No doubt, on a search and rescue mission. Hey, down here! Look at me! _he thought unable to speak. He studied Sarah's enormous face. _Yes, she is livid. Hello?! _He waddled clumsily in her direction. He watched as Sarah stepped back suddenly. Her giant leg moving up and over, he knew he would be flattened in seconds if he didn't change route. He tried to waddle faster in the other direction but he couldn't get his legs to fully cooperate. She was going to crush him! _Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! Croak! Croak! _"C-RO-O-A-A-K-K-K!" he finally mustered. Sarah's foot froze in position. He heard her low voice ask Toby to pick him up. Jareth sighed in relief. He watched Sarah pull out the enchanted backpack and demand a container. Toby, swooped up Jareth and placed him a clear piece of Tupperware. Toby's huge porous face approached the plastic box. He tapped the box with his index finger and a large toothy grin appeared before Jareth. "He's cute," Jareth heard Toby say. _Great, _Jareth thought. _I'm now a domesticated house pet. _

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Sarah looked down at the golden frog before her eyes. She placed a lid pierced with man-made holes on the plastic Tupperware. "You lied to me, Jareth," she said stating the obvious.

"You should kiss him," Toby offered.

"I suppose it's worth a try," Sarah said. "But I think I'll make him wait a little."

"Sarah!"

"Toby!" she said copying his tone. "We don't even know if it would work. In any case, remember at the Mortal Embassy the woman said it was _temporary _amphibian transformation."

"I guess."

"Besides, I have my reasons." _A little down time might make Jareth a little more forthcoming with the truth, _she thought to herself. _And it'll be easier to hear the truth out of the earshot of Toby. So he will have to wait until we're alone. _ Sarah gathered the clothes and shoes on the floor and slipped them into her backpack. Toby reached for Jareth's walking stick and satchel. The two looked up over to the desk to find Golianas conversing in hushed voices with a woman clad in white. He was frowning and eying Sarah and Toby with an air of suspicion. The woman leaned over and kissed Golianas on the cheek. She gave Toby and Sarah a nod in salutation before ducking out the train station in haste. _Huh,_ _I thought privacy wasn't a priority here. _The tall man came back over and handed them their identification cards. He looked warily at Jareth, and then to Sarah and Toby.

"I am afraid I won't be joining you today. Something has come up." The man shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh, should we expect someone else?" Sarah asked.

"Well, you see the thing is, there is no one else. I have programmed the train to take you to Limidus directly. I will equip the train with food and beverages."

"So we will be travelling alone?" Sarah asked in apprehension.

"I am afraid so."

"Oh, okay." Sarah said trying to sound confident.

Golianas led them up to the sky platform. The walk up was lengthy, especially considering how uncomfortable Golianas looked Sarah thought. _He is impatient to be rid of us. Does it have something to do with Jeminy? Should I ask him? _She eyed Toby, _no, not here. What is going on?! _Sarah, looked down below at the honeycomb town. She could see children playing and laughing in the lake below. Her eyes ventured down the cables of the suspension train. She could just see Jeminy's train. Her heart sank. _Where is he?_ She wanted to help him but she knew she was powerless in Makers Land and Jareth said he had alerted the Keeper of the Peace. She hoped that was enough. They reached the platform and Sarah and Toby took in the sight of their new train. _It looks like a giant orange crayon with windows, _Sarah thought. _Yes, I am going to the Hall of Half Truths to discover a half truth in a giant flying crayon while in the 'custody' of a golden frog—No, I don't think this could get any stranger. _She sighed heavily and looked down at the plastic container housing Jareth. Jareth's beady eyes met hers and he let out a croak in agreement.

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The inside of the train was divided into 3 large hexagonal cells. Sarah had left Toby reading in the first compartment and had ventured over to the last compartment with Jareth in tote. She sat down on a cushiony corduroy bench and placed Jareth's container on the bench across from her. Light filtered into the compartment from several small rectangular windows running parallel to the benches. She sat there with her elbows to her knees and chin on her knuckles staring at Jareth.

"Jareth, I am very disappointed in you," she said after a moment. The frog drooped his head dramatically. "Oh, so you are sorry, are you?" Sarah asked. The frog nodded. "And you won't do it again?" She watched the frog hesitate before nodding his head in affirmation. "Yes, you _will_ do it again?!" The frog shook his head "no." "Okay. Toby thinks I should try to kiss you. Would that work?" The frog attempted to shrug his shoulders. "Is that an 'I don't know?'" the frog nodded again. Sarah let out another loaded sigh. _Yes, I am talking to a frog. And yes, I am about to kissssss a frog. Well, as far as frogs go he's not so bad, I guess. _

Sarah opened the cover of the container and place Jareth in the palm of her hands. _Where do I kiss him? _Sarah lifted him up to her lips and kissed him on his back. Nothing. _Oh, fine. _She lifted him up a little bit higher, huffed, and kissed him square on his wide mouth. Jareth began to grow heavier and filled out the palms of her hand. She dropped him in reflex and watched as he shape-shifted back to his former self. _It worked! _"Oooohhhh...!" _It worked all too well! _Sarah stood stunned staring at a naked Jareth. _Yes, all of his man parts are definitely there. Oh, God! _"Uhh…" her speech failed her.

"Sarah?"

"Uh huh,"

"Do you think you could find me my clothes?"

"Huh?" she said before snapping out of her daze. "Oh, yes. Sorry," her cheeks were inflamed as she covered her eyes with one hand and felt around for the backpack with the other. She felt the backpacks straps with her left hand and flung it towards Jareth. "They are in there." She squeezed her eyes tighter, but Jareth's naked body was engraved in her memory. _God, is it hot in here? _

A moment later she felt Jareth's hand on hers, lowering her shield. "I'm dressed now."

Sarah opened one eye, and when she found Jareth in front of her fully dressed she dared to the open the other. She looked up at him and could feel the heat rising to her cheeks again. _I don't think I'll ever be able to look at him the same. _

"Thank you, Sarah. I'm very sorry that I lied to you. It was my intention to protect you, but I shouldn't have lied to do so."

"Well, I think turning into a frog is punishment enough. Let's just put this behind us. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Jareth smiled.

"So, will you tell me now? Was Jeminy abducted?

"Yes."

"By whom?"

"I think, a little maker history lesson may be in order," Jareth said. "I have already told you about the maker's lack of social hierarchy. You have watched the makers interact; you have no doubt gathered that they are peaceful and complaisant by nature."

"Yes."

"You have also witnessed their earnest thirst for knowledge. There is a danger in knowledge, though. Knowledge is power, and too much power can corrupt a maker. About three hundred maker years ago a group of young makers had became impassioned by their studies of Mortal Philosophy. They especially took an interest in individualism. They felt the laws imposed by the mass on magic control were unjust. As you know makers are limited as to where they can 'make.' They are also obligated to adhere to strict age minimum. The general population is accordance of a minimum age requirement of 20 years. The uprising was fueled by an accident. A young man in the No Magic Zone was rock climbing outside of Codex Crossing. He lost his footing and fell. He 'made' a parachute and was instantly transformed into a frog. He slipped out the harness and he died upon impact. The young group of activists believed this was a sign for change, but the mass believed it would open a flood gate of problems and believed for the greater good some individual liberties were to be forsaken."

"But certainly there could be no harm in allowing someone to use magic in self defense."

"In this case, had he lived, he would have been tried by a jury and more than likely acquitted of those charges. But the makers wanted to ensure that the law itself remained firm. It would become increasingly more difficult to try every "in defense" action in NMZ. They believed an abuse of power would undoubtedly follow suit. In the end Makers Land agreed to deny any alteration to the law."

"What happened to the young activists?"

"They were outraged and they decided to leave Makers Land. Over the past three hundred years their group has grown and changed. They call themselves the Brotherhood of Creation. They have also developed strong convictions against the positive affiliation with mortals. They now believe that mortals are beneath them."

"Oh," Sarah said gravely. "Where are they if they are not in Makers Land?"

"They are in hiding in the Black Hole of Creation. They obtain a human and place them in a constant dream state. Some coma victims are actually stuck in the Black Hole of Creation living a nightmare over and over again so that the Brotherhood can reside there permanently. This way they live out of the control of the Makers Lands laws and since they have bore generations out of Makers Land those new generations are able to do magic in all of the Makers Realm without consequence. The movement is getting bolder, and their reach is getting wider."

"And Jeminy was abducted by this Brotherhood of Creation?"

"They left their mark. 'B.C.' suspended in a floating glass bubble inside the train. I believe Jeminy was abducted because he was known for his "mortal-kinship" (a term referring to the love of mortals). The Brotherhood is a grave threat to the makers and mortals alike. Makers cannot fight them in No Magic Zone, and Makers cannot fight them on the Brotherhoods' speck of dusts."

"What will happen to Jeminy?"

"Most likely he will go through memory modification to join the Brotherhoods ranks."

"That's possible?"

"Yes,it is."

"How horrible. Can we save him?"

"I don't think so. They are too powerful."

"Yes, and we have Toby too." Sarah looked down worriedly. "Are we in danger?"

"Not yet, I don't think. They don't know you are here. Word travels fast through Makers Land, but they are not a part of that circuit."

"But we will be in danger should we be discovered, because we are mortals?"

"Yes."

"What are we going to do?"

"You and Toby will need to adapt a disguise for one."

"Okay, whatever it takes."

"Call Toby, I have a lot to teach you both and little time to do it in." Jareth finished his eyes fixed with worry.

He watched Sarah stand up turn toward the door and leave. He exhaled heavily. He had told her everything he knew about the Brotherhood. But he had kept one secret for himself. _Sarah, my dear sweet Sarah. You have exposed a truth I have kept even from myself. _He looked down at the plastic container that had housed him a half an hour ago. _Some fairy-tales exist even outside of your dreams, like the one where true love's kiss could break a spell. Sarah, as it turns out, I ardently love you._

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_A/N: _Thanks for reading!He didn't stay a frog for too long...plus what a happy surprise when he turned back! I'm curious what you all think about the real villain being introduced. Please review.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Sarah, Jareth, Toby or any other Labyrinth creature. I do own Aris and all other Makers Realm characters. :) Enjoy!

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Chapter Ten

Light reveals truth.

Sarah sat cross legged on a corduroy cushion staring hypnotized in front of her. It was night, but the bright iridescent glow of the approaching city had been lighting there way for over half an hour. She had tried to peer out the small windows for a better view of Limidus but all she could see was a bright light and lit countryside. The light seemed to dance she thought. The hills appeared like waves of soft light, rippling and moving alongside the train. Every once in awhile Sarah would find herself needing to fix her gaze on a tree just to make sure the hills weren't really alive. _They could be alive. Nothing was what it seemed in this place._ _Most of all Jareth. _

She had finally accepted that the Jareth she thought she had known was not the real Jareth at all. _He is still haughty and infuriating at times but he has done so much for Toby and me without asking for anything in return. He is generous. _Sarah thought back to his words the day before. _He said,_ _"We are not friends." Yes, he can be cold and aloof, but when he smiles, _Sarah looked over her shoulder to where Jareth sat, _it is so warm and genuine. Granted his smiles to me have been all mischievous half grins! But when I have seen him smile at Toby or at Jeminy… I wish I could make him smile like that. _Sarah grimaced, _what is this? Jealousy? Why would I be jealous? _Jareth's angular face pierced through her thoughts followed by his mismatched eyes, fine lips, strong jaw, bare broad shoulders and chest. She tried to blink away his sculpted naked physique. She could feel her heart beat accelerate. _ Crap. I think I might like him. _Sarah forced the emerging thought into her subconscious. _I don't have time for distractions. We are so close to finding something out about my mom. _She looked sideways at a resting Jareth. Her heart skipped a beat.

_ No, I need to concentrate on playing the part of a travelling maker. _ She sighed going over her new identity. _ I am Kelesa and Toby is Hornes of the Guhiko clan. We are travelling to the Hall of Half Truths for a school project of Hornes. _In Limidus they would be meeting an old friend of Jareth's. His name was Aris and he would help them finish their 'disguise'. Sarah could feel the train slowing down. They were approaching Limidus now. She could just see a large band of blinding bright light ahead. It seemed to stretch for miles.

"It's a wall," Jareth said softly in her ear.

"A wall?" She jumped startled. His breath was hot on her shoulder.

"Yes, the people of Limidus made a wall of light. From here it is practically blinding, but on the other side of the wall the light is ambient."

"Does the wall go completely around Limidus?"

"Yes, in a sense. You will see."

Toby stirred next to them. He stretched his long limbs and opened his eyes gradually, shielding his eyes from the intense light.

"What is that?" Toby asked after taking in the new scene.

"A wall of light," Sarah replied.

"Oh, of course," Toby said with a grin.

The three shielded their eyes as they approached the wall. _Why aren't we slowing down more? _Sarah thought. _We should be stopping. _Her heart raced. _We are going to crash. _ She winced over her shoulder gripping Jareth's forearm in fear. A moment passed. The only sound was of the train slowly coming to a halt.

"Sarah," Jareth said calmly. "You can open your eyes now."

_Hmm? _Sarah opened her eyes slowly. The wall of light was gone.

"The wall wasn't real?" Sarah asked fighting through flashes of black dancing before her eyes.

"The wall was composed of light alone."

"That was so awesome! But now I can't see anything," Toby said blinking fervently.

"It will go away."

"But what was the source of the light?" She paused and then added with an embarrassed smile, "Oh, there was no source. Just another difference between our world and your world." She looked at a blotchy Jareth and realized her hand was still gripping his arm. "Oh, sorry," she said letting go.

"We are here. Aris should be waiting for us on the platform," Jareth said grabbing his walking stick and satchel. Sarah and Toby followed suit and walked toward the exit of the train.

Sarah stepped down the train's steps clutching the railing and followed Jareth and Toby. _I am Kelesa of Guhiko. Kelesa of Guhiko, _Sarah chanted inwardly. Sarah looked up ahead of her to where Jareth approached a thin silhouette. _It's a woman. _Sarah thought back to their conversation. No, Jareth had not used pronouns she decided. _I just assumed Aris was a man_. Sarah stopped momentarily watching Jareth wrap Aris in his arms and swing her small figure around in a large swoop. Sarah watched the woman carefully. She was beautiful, tall and thin with silky red hair, fair complexion and large chocolate brown eyes. She wore a long flowered peach tunic with sheer sleeves and a deep neck line that exposed her fair skin. The tunic was slit up the sides to expose thick brown leggings and was gathered at the waste by an intricate brown leather belt. She wore caramel colored leather boots that arrived just below her knees. _Who was this woman, and what was she to Jareth? _Sarah heard a thud and looked over to Toby.

"Toby? You okay?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, fine. Just clumsy, I guess," Toby said staring dumbfounded at Aris.

_Boys. _Sarah thought. She approached Jareth and Aris warily.

The majestic woman pulled away from Jareth's embrace and looked directly at Sarah.

"You must be Sarah," she said with a warm gentle voice. "I am so pleased to finally meet you." The woman gripped Sarah's hands in sincerity.

"Hello. And you are Aris?" Sarah said with a smile deciding she liked the convivial woman.

"Yes, Aris is short for Aristotle. My father named all of his children after mortal authors. He started with 'A', I am the second oldest -after Agatha Christie and before Arthur Miller."

"Oh, are you many?"

"We are sixty-seven in all, just a minuscule portion of the Limidus clan."

"Sixty-seven?" Toby interjected.

"And this handsome young man must be Toby." Aris looked at Toby with a warm smile.

"Yy-yeah," Toby stuttered with a toothy grin.

"Jareth tells me you both need help blending in. I know it's hard here in Makers Land. Everyone is expecting you. But the atmosphere has changed since word has travelled of Jeminy's disappearance. The makers are wary of helping you. They won't even approach the train station. They fear if they help you they will meet the same fate as Jeminy."

"You are not afraid?" Sarah asked concerned.

"No," she said bluntly.

"You always were fearless," Jareth said smiling at Aris. "Even before you could 'make' legally."

"Fear is of our own making, and I chose not to make it." Aris looked around at the group reassuringly.

"Still, we want you to know we appreciate your help," Sarah said. "I understand there is a sacrifice to your safety."

"Don't you worry about that," Aris said gently. "First things first, we need to do something about your wardrobe. You practically scream 'mortal.'"

Sarah looked down at her jeans, tee-shirt, and cardigan. "What do you suggest?" Sarah asked.

Aris stepped back and studied Sarah for a minute, posing a long thin finger on the tip of her lips.

She nodded her head agreeing internally and swiped her right hand in Sarah's direction. Sarah could feel the clothes around her begin to shift and change on her skin.

"Oh!" she said in surprise. She looked down when the ensemble was complete. She wore a long fitted sheer ivory chemise slit into long vertical bands at the sleeves and under her bust. Her bust and waste were covered by a sleeveless bodice made of thick brown suede and embroidered with a green vine, a pair of emeralds at the tip. The thick bands of her chemise hung down to mid thigh over thick leggings tucked into high heeled mahogany colored leather boots. _What am I wearing?!_

"What you are wearing is typical attire for the Guhiko clan."

Sarah peered down again her eyes falling on abundant cleavage. She gasped in surprise. _I didn't know they could do that._

Aris smiled gaily. "Yes, the bodice may set back the woman's movement a couple hundred years."

"Well, whatever it takes, I guess," Sarah said unsure of herself. "Thank you, Aris," she added earnestly.

Aris turned toward Toby and in flick of her wrist she made him a green v-neck tunic with brown trousers. Toby sighed in relief.

"At least I am not wearing tights," Toby said.

"You still look like Robin Hood," Sarah teased.

"And you look like a pirate."

Sarah laughed, "Why do I feel like we should be ringing at every door singing 'trick-or-treat?'"

"Probably not the best of ideas at the moment," Jareth cut in. "They are perfect. Thank you Aris. Do you think you could teleport us elsewhere? The town will be expecting them to arrive by train."

"Yes, there is a docking pad at my house. We will go there directly." She looked to Toby and Sarah, "Okay, you all will need to come in," she said gesturing them in towards her. "Closer." She lifted her arms up and out. "We will need to interlock." Sarah, Toby, Jareth, and Aris formed a circle joining at the shoulders with their arms linked around their neighbors' necks. Aris closed her eyes tight and the four spinned momentarily up before landing on a clear pad situated on the carpeted floor of Aris' living room.

"Welcome to my home," she sang.

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Sarah opened her eyes in defeat. She had been struggling to sleep for hours and finally gave into the notion that it would only come when good and ready. Despite her swollen tired eyes her mind was racing and her aching head was in overdrive. Tomorrow they would finally reach the Hall of Half Truths, and she would learn the truth about her mother's whereabouts. She had wondered if the Hall would give her the name of her mother's town. Would she travel there and find her mom? Meet her grandmother? When she forced herself to stop over analyzing tomorrow's possibilities she started thinking about Jareth and Aris. She tried to force them out of her mind completely, but the day's events played out over and over in her head. An image of Jareth sweeping the lovely Aris in the air played on repeat. _His good old friend, Aris._ _She is beautiful and smart_. Sarah choked back a wave of jealousy. And she was kind, she reminded herself. _I like her._ Everything about her was perfect. Surely, Jareth could see that. Something was bound to begin between him and his old friend. Her heart sunk. She needed a good distraction. She looked around the dimly lit living room. Toby was still snoring noisily next to her. _That boy could sleep through anything. _Aris' living room was covered in maps of various maker's towns and regions. On a vast bookshelf spanning an entire wall she could see books on almost every subject. One shelf housed a hanging figure eight which undulated continuously in loops. _Hmm…a maker_'s 'globe'. The room was a shrine of information_. I could discover all the secrets from the Makers Realm in this room. _Sarah looked cautiously about her. Jareth's futon was empty and still made up. He was off with Aris somewhere. Sarah didn't want to think about what they could be doing.

She silently lifted herself up off the shared futon trying not to disturb Toby and tiptoed on carpet to the swinging kitchen door. Maybe Aris would have milk or a decaffeinated tea to help her sleep she thought. She closed the door gently behind her and began to fumble for a light switch. _No, there wouldn't be a light switch. I would just need to say it. _Before the word "light" could escape her lips Sarah was startled by hushed voices carrying into the kitchen from a lit patio.

"She doesn't know," Jareth's voice was a low purr. Sarah inched silently to the slightly ajar patio door. She could just make out Jareth. His face was laden with worry.

"What do you mean? You didn't tell her?" Sarah recognized Aris' soft voice.

"How could I?" Jareth said with a frown. He sighed heavily shaking his head.

"Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not."

"Wow, I don't know what to say," Aris said. "I can't imagine that _she _could be _her _mother."

"I hope I am mistaken, but the KOP in Filcher mentioned dates which correspond almost exactly to her mother's disappearance."

"But still…it could be another Olena? No?"

"Yes, it could be. But how many Olena's do you know? It isn't exactly a common name."

"You said Sarah was with her until she was about nine years old?"

"Yes."

"But Sarah is so…good. Isn't she?"

"She doesn't have an evil bone in her body," Jareth said with conviction.

"So it couldn't be her."

"How so?"

Aris' voice lowered to a whisper. "That kind of evil has a way of rubbing off on those closest to it."

"Not necessarily. Not if she changed after she left Sarah."

"If this is true, Sarah is in even more danger. You will need my help, Jareth."

"I don't want you to get in the middle of this. It isn't safe. Sarah is my responsibility. I will take care of her."

"Jareth don't be silly. You know I can hold my own. Plus, I want to help. I like Sarah. She reminds me of me," Aris said. "She's tough."

"She's not as tough as she thinks," Jareth said with a huff.

"How would you know, Jareth? You keep sheltering her. You should tell her."

Sarah stood rigid behind the patio door. What was the meaning of all this? They believed her mother to be some evil person? They worried for Sarah's safety? That other woman wasn't her mother. Her mother believed in peace and human equality. She organized a walkathon for Cancer Research. She volunteered at the soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. Her mother was a kind loving person. Clearly they were mistaken. This other woman was a despicable creature who didn't hold a candle to her mother.

"Tell her? How? How do I tell her that I think her mom is alive, but she's corrupt, evil, and despises her?"

Sarah had heard enough. She pushed the door to the patio open scowling at Jareth, "Jareth, that is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard! My mother was the best person I knew! She loved me and my father."

"Sarah," Jareth tried to cut in.

"You didn't know her, Jareth," Sarah said accusingly. "She had a way of making everyone around her happy. She was an amazing person. I promise you, you are mistaken." She said in defense of her mother's memory. She felt betrayed by Jareth and unequipped to handle the turn of events. The stress and fatigue of the last few days brought tears to her eyes.

"I hope I am mistaken," was all he said. His voice was steady but full of concern.

"Just wait until tomorrow," an exhausted Sarah said moments later. "You will see." She choked back a sob and quietly retreated back to the house.

Jareth looked at Aris and exhaled heavily. "Well, that went well," he said finally. He cocked his head and massaged his neck. _What a mess._ He wished there was something he could do to make this tangled mess disappear. Jareth looked up to the night sky. Light shimmered in streaks of gold and silver. _How you turn my world you precious thing. _He sighed remembering Sarah's injured expression. _For you I'd move the stars._

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please review :)


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I still don't own the Labyrinth. :( Dommage. Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter Eleven

I want to hold your hand.

Toby watched Aris dreamily ahead of him. She was walking along side of Jareth on the rocky road under a bimini of enormous tree branches. _I think I'm in love. _Toby thought with a cheesy grin. He had never seen a woman so beautiful and majestic. _She sees me as a kid though. _He wondered how old she was. He watched Aris place her tiny hand on Jareth's forearm and laugh warmly. Were they a couple? _Jareth had called her an old friend,_ he reassured himself. Toby watched as the two conversed comfortably while treading through the forest. They looked like little ants compared to the immense gnarly trees that shot up along the graveled roadside. Looking up Toby couldn't make out the top of the trees, and the blue sky was hidden behind mammoth sized leaves. He had never seen a forest like this. The giant looming trees were arranged in perfect wide rows. Trees lined up like pawns on a chess board, hiding anything and everything from the roadside view. A chill ran down his spine and he looked over his shoulder to his sister. Toby wondered what was going on with Sarah. She had hardly said a word all morning. She seemed distracted and worried. _She's probably just worried about what she will learn at the Hall of Half Truths. _When he had asked her if she was okay she had only shrugged her shoulders saying she hadn't slept well.

"Hey Sare, are you feeling better?" he asked handing her a bottle of water he had pulled out of his backpack earlier. Toby could feel Jareth slowing down ahead of them.

"Yes, Toby." She took a drink eagerly. "Thank you." She twisted the cap on the bottle and handed it back to Toby.

_Nope, not even a glimpse of a smile. _He wondered how he could get her out of her funk_. If I could only get her talking. _ "Sarah, will you tell me about your mom?" he asked abruptly.

"My mom?"

"Yeah, we might meet her soon, and you have never really talked about her."

"What do you want to know?"

"What was she like?" Toby asked. He was pleased to see the turn of conversation had also attracted the attention of Aris and Jareth.

"That's hard to describe, but I will try my best." Sarah considered his request thoughtfully before continuing. "Maybe I could tell you a story about her?" She said watching Jareth approach. Toby nodded his head approvingly.

"Okay, well when I was seven-years-old I would come home from school every day and mom would clean out my backpack to see if I had any homework or special assignments to help me with. Half way through the school year she started finding things that I hadn't left our house with. It started small; a My Little Pony pencil or a Gumbi eraser. Each time she would ask me where the mysterious item came from and I would tell her, 'I don't know.' The next day I would bring the item back to my classroom and place it in the lost and found. As time passed the items would become more valuable. She would find a child's jacket, lunchbox, pencil case or my teacher's picture frame from her desk. Mom would send the items back with me the next day and I would put them in the lost and found." Sarah paused wiping a bead of sweat from her brow.

"It just continued like that?" Toby asked.

"Well after a while the other parents started complaining about a thief among the students. My teacher, Ms. Cowell, had asked in class for the culprit to come forward. No one stepped forward and I kept coming home with my backpack full of treasures. And then one day Ms. Cowell found me returning a missing pair of glasses to the lost and found. She asked why I had them, and I said, 'I don't know.' She had sent me to the corner for all of recess and asked my mom to come in for a teacher parent conference at lunch. When my mom had arrived my teacher had insisted that I had been responsible for the thefts and that she imagined I lacked discipline."

"What did your mom say?"

"Mom said, 'My daughter says she doesn't know where those items come from, and I believe her.' She asked her how she could call herself a teacher, and that wasn't it the job of a teacher to lead by example? Mom had said 'Tell me what example you are leading by showing a child she is guilty until proven innocent? I am digusted in a _teacher_ that doesn't have faith in her own student. Shame on you, Ms. Cowell.' The teacher looked at my mom with a dumbfounded expression, and my mom gestured me out the door. The next day my teacher caught Dusty Roberts trying to stick the classroom's hamster cage into my Rainbow Bright backpack." Sarah smiled at the memory. "Mom defended fiercely those she loved. And she had faith in me when everyone else around me didn't."

Toby watched as Sarah and Jareth exchanged a meaningful look. Why did he feel like he was missing something?

"So in a nut shell, she was very loyal. What else can you tell me about her?"

"She was generous to a default. I remember Mom and Dad would sometimes argue that she would give all our money away. She couldn't say no to someone in need. Problem was to her everyone was in need."

"Really?"

"Well, I guess it makes sense now. She didn't like the concept of rich or poor. She had grown up in a world without a social scale."

"Yeah, I never thought of it that way."

"Me neither. But I understand her better now. She used to have such a hard time cooking and cleaning. She abhorred doing laundry. She loathed shopping."

"Hah! It figures! She had all that accomplished before with a snap of a finger," Toby said with a grin.

"Yes, it all fits doesn't it?" Sarah marched on falling back into silence, a pensive air coming over her.

"Indeed." Jareth's voice interrupted her reverie.

Toby watched the two exchange yet another meaningful look. _What was going on? _He continued on ahead shooting glances at Aris and trying to think of something to talk to her about.

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Sarah wasn't sure what was coming over her. She was angry with Jareth, right? So then why did she want desperately to be near him? _More than near him._ Her stomach was in knots and she wanted the comfort of someone's arms around her. When had that someone become Jareth? How did that happen_? I am angry with him_ _for God's sake. So why do I feel embarrassed to look at him and eager to be near him. And deathly afraid he won't forgive me for my outburst from last night._ _And all at the same time? _Sarah carried on perplexed. _No, I'm not angry with him, s_he decided. _I'm hurt. _His words had hurt her. But why did she care what he thought about her mother? She swallowed a lump in the back of her throat. She wanted to run to him. She wanted him to take her into his strong embrace and say, "everything will be alright." But they didn't have that kind of relationship. She could feel her heart sink to the depths of her stomach. _I am a wreck. I am falling for a…man who thinks of me as a bratty child still. Who won't even consider me a friend. _She watched Jareth carefully, studying his sharp features and stoic expression_. He is so handsome. And sexy._ Her heart was thudding about furiously as her eyes fell upon his thin defined lips. _No, Sarah. Whatever this is, I need to get over it. Jareth is helping me discover the truth about my mother. I can't make things awkward between us by introducing to him unreciprocated feelings. Plus he has Aris. Who is lovely. _Sarah looked at Aris' beautiful face and elegant form smiling up at a comfortable Jareth. _ She is lovely, _she repeated to herself inwardly._ I am not jealous. _

_Ha! The hell you aren't, _her subconscious retorted back.

Sarah shook her head trying to rid herself of the confusing thoughts. They had been walking for about two hours now and she imagined that they would soon be at the edge of Maker's Land. Aris had told her it was about a two and half hour walk through the enchanted forest. She had explained that the trees were guardians of the Hall of Half Truths and that their colossal branches would sweep down refusing access to all magical modes of transport. "Only the humble foot can access the Hall of Half Truths," she had said. Once they reached the end of the road they would meet a gaping black hole stretching as far the eyes could see. She had pointed to the top of the figure eight globe and traced her finger down a hair into the Black Hole of Creation. "The entrance is about a half a mile into the Black Hole of Creation. We will have to step into the blackness and 'make' our way to the Hall of Half Truths.

It would be Sarah's first time back to the Black Hole of Creation since the Goblin City. An idea which made her think back fondly of the adventure she had passed in the Underworld. It was an amazing adventure. She had made friends and saved her brother. She had learned a lot. _Jareth made me all of that. _She looked at him through revived eyes. _He is a good man. _

Sarah had been lost in thought staring fixedly at Jareth ahead of her. She was unaware of Jareth's heavy gaze now falling on her in return.

"Sarah?" Jareth's voice ruptured the silence.

"Huh?" Sarah jolted back to reality and met Jareth's mitch-matched eyes. _He's looking at me. _Her cheeks were inflamed, and she found herself unable to match his gaze. Her heart began to race. She was certain it would explode from her chest. Her name never sounded so delicious on anyone's lips before. She prayed for him to repeat her name and to never look away.

"Sarah,"Jareth repeated. Electricity shot through her body. "I was wondering if I could have a word." Jareth slowed down to join her. He walked in pace beside her.

"Of-f course." _Great. Stutter why don't you. _Jareth leaned over to talk softly in her ear. Sarah could feel every cell in her body burst into flames.

"About last night…"

_Oh, God, no. _Sarah held her breath. What was she so afraid of? "Yes, about last night…I wanted to talk to you too."

"Is that so? Well, by all means, ladies first."

"No, it's okay, Jareth. You first," she said rather unsure of herself. _Maybe I should go first…_

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

The two said in unison.

"No, no. It was me," Sarah said looking at Jareth. "I shouldn't have been so sensitive. I was out of line."

"Your reaction was totally natural. I should have told you what I learned before, and in another way."

Sarah considered his words carefully. "When did you have the opportunity? I have been nothing but difficult."

"I prefer the word 'challenge.'" Jareth said with his mischievous half grin reappearing. Sarah smacked him on the arm playfully. "Oh, and now you are abusive on top of it." Jareths half grin spread into radiant full smile. Sarah melted. _He smiled for me,_ her heart sang. Her lips twitched and color rose up to her cheeks all over again. _I must not read too much into it. _She thought grinning silently to herself.

A moment later she felt Jareth's arm reach across her chest, shielding her. "Wait. Don't move," he said. "We are here."

"Yes, we are," Aris chimed in beside them. The four stood lined up in a perfect row.

Ahead of them Sarah could only see an infinite number of more trees running along the same graveled road.

"But where's the blackness?" Toby asked.

"Stand right where you are but just poke your head forward, like you're looking out a window," Aris said with a smile.

Sarah and Toby followed her directions. The forest scene rippled away and before them the 'nothing' was revealed. The black nothing stretched in every direction. Sarah had never seen black like this before. Indeed it was blacker than a starless night, or the oubliette in the Labyrinth. But it was more than just black. It was pure and unaltered emptiness. It was strange because contrary to what Sarah had expected the blackness provoked no fear. Instead she felt a pulsating desire to create. It was as if her very essence wanted to fill the blackness with life. She wondered if Toby could feel that too.

"Toby?" she said with excitement. "Can you feel that?"

She felt a gentle tug pulling her out of the Black Hole. Jareth, Aris, and Toby stood watching her curiously.

She looked at Toby and was surprised to see the mix of fear and wonder written on his face. "Wow, that was intense," he said.

"Yeah," Sarah said smiling reassuringly at Toby.

"I'll go first," Jareth said finally. I will 'make' your way to the Hall of Half Truths." And with that Sarah watched as Jareth confidently stepped forward and vanished into thin air.

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A/N: I really enjoyed writing the second part of this. The first part was necessary but a little difficult to write. Please tell me what you think. :)


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Still don't own the Labyrinth.

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Chapter Twelve

Mirror, mirror.

Sarah stood waiting for a minute before Jareth's hand reappeared, floating before her eyes. A long slender finger summoned the three onward. Gathering her courage Sarah stepped forward into the Black Hole of Creation and ran chest first into Jareth.

"Oh," she said red returning to her cheeks. _Stop it! _She moved away quickly trying to dodge Jareth's probing eyes. "Sorry."

Toby and Aris followed quickly behind and the four addressed their surroundings.

"In tribute to how we met," Jareth said in explanation to Sarah's awed expression.

They were standing inside a perfect crystal sphere amid hovering fragments of stone staircases and archways. Her footsteps echoed on stone and beyond the pearly sheen of the sphere she could see the Black Hole of Creation.

"The crystal is moving us toward the entrance of the Hall."

Sarah's stomach tied in knots. They had been working toward this for what seemed to be weeks. The moment was so near. Consequently she felt like she was going to be sick.

"Anything I should know?" Sarah asked looking at Jareth with a worried expression.

"You will have to walk the Hall alone. The Hall presents itself to the seeker of truth in the way it chooses. There is no standard. What I have seen will not be what you will see. And no one will see what you have seen today."

"Is it safe?"

"Completely. Knowledge cannot physically hurt anyone." Jareth said staring fixedly at Sarah.

Sarah shifted uncomfortably. What would she learn today? She stood anxiously staring around her. With only blackness beyond the crystal sphere there was no way to gauge how fast she was going or if they were moving at all. _I need a distraction. _The thought was as heavy as the sigh it preceded. She studied the familiar room around her. Jareth may not have been the Goblin King, but in this "room" she felt she was reliving their last exchange. He had offered her her dreams. He had offered her HIMSELF. Hadn't he?_ "Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." _The thought made her blush now. What would have happened if she had agreed? Certainly he hadn't meant it. Not to a fifteen-year-old human girl. But how would the "dream" have played out? Sarah allowed herself to imagine Jareth's strong arms around her, a long hard embrace, a lifetime as his queen. Yes, this would do as a distraction. She smiled inwardly.

The crystal stopped and Sarah felt herself lurch forward slightly. _We were moving._

Jareth looked at her with steady mismatched eyes.

"Are you ready?"

Sarah shook her head _no_ and said, "Yes." She looked back at Toby.

"Don't worry. I will be right here when you get back."

"Take care of him." She said to Jareth and Aris. "How do I get out?"

"You walk forward, dear." Aris said with a reassuring smile.

"Okay feet…" Sarah sighed heavily and gave one last glance over her shoulder to Jareth and Toby. She picked up her feet and walked forward through the crystal sphere disappearing from the view of her three companions.

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Mirrors. Mirrors. Alongside her, below her feet, above her head were mirrors stretching a long candle lit corridor. She persisted forward aware that her boots made no sound and that she cast no reflection. She could feel her silent heartbeat and she could see her opaque skin. She held her silent breath and spoke silent words, still she persisted forward. _This must be what it feels like to be a ghost. _ She walked for ten minutes before she could make out the end of the corridor. A billowy veil of sheer white fabric swayed through a currentless air. When she reached the curtains she stopped and tried to muster the remaining courage she had stored within herself. A moment later, Sarah lifted her arm and reached forward. She half expected her hand to slip through the fabric, but was relieved to find the edge of the veil in her grasp. She lifted the curtain and went in.

The room was square with mirrors on every side of her. A single pedestal table centered in the small room held an ornate bronze hourglass. Ahead of her she jumped at her own reappeared reflection. The ensemble Aris had created made her almost unrecognizable she thought. She was unworldly. Un_human_worldly, she corrected herself. She studied the room unsure of what to do next. _The hourglass. _She placed a shaking hand on the hourglass and turned it over. _Nothing has_ _changed_, she thought before catching her reflection again. Her reflection moved in turn with her. Her right arm on her hip, her left arm gently placed above the hourglass, her head tilted to the side, and her expression quickly changing from bewilderment to wonder. She was staring at a very old version of herself.

"You have come baring questions," an old slow and strained voiced spoke from her reflection. Sarah watched the old woman with long wavy white hair and deeply creased skin. "Come, come the time is now. Time runs short, time runs out." The woman stared back at a dumbfounded Sarah. Her words were breathy and drawn out. The old woman blinked silently and Sarah watched as the wrinkles around her mouth began to lift and recede. "Time spent cannot be had again."

Sarah's heartbeat began to speed up as the urgency dawned on her. Her reflection, this old woman, was her. She seemed to be getting younger by the second. She looked down to the hourglass. Could she pause time? She lowered her hand to the hourglass.

"Ah, ah, ah," the old woman's voice echoed. "You cannot catch time to hold it in place." The woman's voice became clearer and faster and the lines on her face became less prominent. Sarah began to recognize her traits in her reflection. Sarah clutched the edge of the table and stared hard at her old self. If she understood correctly, the hourglass held only enough time for her reflection to return to infancy. And at the rate the sand seemed to be falling, or at the rate her own reflection seem to be becoming younger, she would only have a few minutes to obtain the truth she came to seek.

But where would she begin? She had so many questions.

"I would like to know about my mother," Sarah's clear voice cut through the silence.

"About your mother there is a lot to know." the old woman said, her white hair quickly turning grey.

_I need to choose my questions more carefully, _Sarah thought.

"Is my mother here, in the Maker's Realm?"

Most of the lines on the old Sarah's face had lifted and a clearer crisper voice rang back to her. "Your mother is indeed in the Maker's Realm."

"And is she alive?" Sarah spat the loaded words out fearing the worst.

"Your mother is indeed alive," said a Sarah a few decades older than she.

Hope twinkled in Sarah's eyes as she gained momentum and courage, "What town is she in?"

"She is in town without a name."

Sarah bit down on her lower lip confused. _What kind of town doesn't have a name?_ "Where is the town?"

"One of many in the Black Hole of Creation," a Sarah in her thirties answered back.

"The Black Hole?" Sarah cringed at a thought creeping in through her subconscious. "Why is she there?" Worry flashed through her expression.

"That is beyond my knowledge," said a younger reflection of Sarah as the real Sarah's heartbeat jumped into full throttle. The sick feeling was returning to the pit of her stomach.

"How can I get there?"

"You must find the Brotherhood," said a fifteen-year-old Sarah.

_Oh God! _Sarah went pale and her words became heavy, "The brotherhood?"

"Yes."

Sarah paused not sure if she wanted to ask her next question. Certainly there was some mistake. Of course she would have to pose the question in order to exonerate her mother. She drew in a breath of courage and asked, "Is my mother part of the brotherhood?"

"Your mother is one of their leaders,"rang a child like voice. Sarah observed an eight-year-old version of herself still clutching the pedestal table before her. The girl's large brown eyes reflected Sarah's adult expression.

"Who told you this?" Sarah asked staring at herself as a child.

"Recorded encounters from the towns of Borales, Kulux, Xiopis, and Riltres." The child's voice chimed soft as a bell. Sarah watched herself shrink again in size.

"How could this be true?"

"I report only the facts that have been stowed upon me. I cannot explain what make something true." The little girl blinked back at Sarah.

"But she loved my father and me!" Sarah watched as her young self transformed again into someone tinier. A small doe eyed baby doll looking up to her.

"Love lost to her," were the infant's last words ringing throughout the room. She became smaller and younger and disappeared into a flash of light.

Sarah looked down to the emptied hour glass and tried flipping it over again. When nothing happened she repeated the gesture looking around her frantically.

"Come back! Hey!? Please?! Come back!"

Sarah stared determined at her returned real reflection.

"Hello?"

The only sound was of her own breath. "Hello?! I have another question, please!"

No answer.

Her eyes began to brim with tears. She couldn't take this anymore. Everything she was working to, every place she turned seemed to bring her further from what she had known. Her mother was a wonderful person! This couldn't be real! In a fit of anxiety Sarah grabbed the hourglass and thrust it at her reflection. She expected the glass to shatter into a thousand shards but the mirror and hourglass remained unbroken. Sarah stood shaking with tears streaming down, her honest reflection displaying her miserable face. Tears spilled down on her suede bodice. She looked ridiculous too, Sarah decided. She hated this. She had turned her life upside down. She had gotten her brother caught up in such a mess and nothing was as it should be. _No! It isn't supposed to be like this! _Her thoughts screamed inside her head. She turned on her heels and fled from the room.

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"Sarah? Sarah!" Toby's voice echoed in the forest. Toby had been sent back with Aris to the forest when they had realized that Sarah had not made it back from the Hall of Half Truths.

In other circumstances he would have been more than delighted to find himself alone with the beautiful Aris, but right now he could only worry about his sister. Where was she?

"Sarah?" Aris' voice rang through the large trees.

This wasn't like her. She wouldn't just leave him. Something must have happened to her. Toby began to imagine her injured in the Hall. _Or what if she had fallen into the Black Hole?_ How would they find her? Even Jareth seemed especially concerned when she hadn't returned in an hour's time. He brought Toby and Aris back here and said, "Stay close, but don't stop looking." Toby shuttered remembering Jareth's intense expression. He looked grieved and like he had taken a physical blow. But he also appeared angry and violent. He had never seen that expression on Jareth. He hoped he would never see it again. Night was beginning to fall. Soon they wouldn't be able to see anything.

"Toby," Aris said approaching quietly. "You know we are in NMZ, and it is getting late." She looked at him thoughtfully. "I can't build a fire. Do you know how? Maybe your sister will see it." She smiled at him reassuringly.

"Yeah, Dad taught me. Will you help me gather some wood?" The two began collecting wood around the forest. It reminded Toby of all the camping trips he had taken with his father. Somehow remembering those trips now helped him remain calm. His father was always cool under crisis, like the time they actually had their food stolen by a bear, or when his friend Owen got lost in the woods.

"Jareth told me about your father, Toby. I am really sorry to hear about your loss."

"Thank you," Toby said. "He was a great Dad." He paused and then added, "I miss him a lot."

"You always will. But it will get easier." Aris smiled warmly at him. "I lost my father many years ago," she said responding to his curious expression.

"Oh," Toby said. The two grew silent for a moment collecting wood and arranging them in the middle of the path. Toby focused on his task trying to not over think Sarah's absence. It was a hard feat since every minute that lapsed he was certain she was more lost to them.

"Jareth is a determined man. He can accomplish anything he puts his mind to. Especially for someone he loves," Aris broke the silence.

"He loves her?"

"More than either of them know."

"Do you love him?"

Aris smiled coyly at Toby, "Can't get anything past you, huh?"

Toby regarded her earnest but warm expression. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Don't worry Toby. It isn't a secret, at least not an intentional one. I have loved Jareth since we were kids. But Jareth never saw me as more than a friend, and I have learned to accept that. His happiness is what matters the most to me now."

Toby watched Aris as she bent down to pick up a large "twig" left from one of the giant trees. She was really an exceptional person he decided. He was glad that they would at least become friends. Toby continued to load up his arms with branches and twigs. He was lost in thought but he felt reassured.

_If Jareth loves Sarah, he will find her._

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A/N: Dear readers, I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter. I have been building up to it for awhile. I hope it didn't disappoint! Do you feel like reviewing? Pretty please?


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: No, Sarah, Jareth, Toby, and the Labyrinth are not mine to own. :(

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Chapter Thirteen

Don't stand so close to me.

Sarah shot up from her bed. Her heartbeat was still racing and her ivory silk night gown clung to her body from a cold sweat. She climbed out of the sheets and looked around her moonlit childhood bedroom. How did she get here? A moment ago she was running down the long Hall of Half Truths and now she was back in her room? _Or maybe not, _she thought to herself remembering her adventures in the Labyrinth. _Maybe this just looks like my room. _ She turned on her beside lamp squinting through the brightness and rose quickly to open her bedroom door. She was prepared to see anything but the upstairs' hallway, but even before reaching for the hallway light she could feel the same familiar grey carpeting under her feet. _If I am here, where is Toby? _She tipped-toed down the hall and listened intently behind Toby's closed bedroom door. She could hear him softly snoring. Sarah felt tension drain from her body as she exhaled a sigh of relief. _But how did we get back? _She walked back to her room and looked about her in confusion. Everything was the same as she had left it, or almost everything. Where was the leather bound copy of the Labyrinth? And where was her mother's letter? The house was silent and the clock on her dresser showed three in the morning. Outside her window Sarah could see her neighbors' roofs lit by the large silver moon. She opened the window and felt the crisp spring air. _I am really home_. She looked down at her chilled body and realized she was wearing her favorite silk night gown and that her hair was now loose and tumbling down in waves on her shoulders. _Was it all a dream? It seemed so real. _Sarah thought back to the events that had come to pass. It was beyond anything she could imagine. A dream? Did she dream her mother was still alive in some far away realm? _I guess it makes sense, _Sarah thought to herself. _Losing Dad brought all those memories of losing Mom to the surface. But when did my dream begin? When did I fall asleep? I can't remember. _ _Was it before I found the mysterious letter? Before I met Jareth? _Sarah felt like she had taken a blow to her gut. _ Jareth. Did I dream him too? _ She was surprised how quickly a new panic set in. She couldn't believe that she dreamt him too. A wave of emotion struck her where she stood. A minute ago she had been running down the mirrored corridor wishing with all her might that she would wake up from this nightmare and now that she had… she wished she could get back there to Jareth? _But Toby is safe here. And my mother isn't a villain anymore. _Nevertheless, she felt empty and she felt guilty for feeling empty. _I should be relieved, _she thoughtas hot tears began stream down her grieved face. _I'll never see him again. The first time I feel anything for a man and it turns out to be a dream. A nightmare. Oh God, what is wrong with me? I wish it wasn't a nightmare._

_ I wish Jareth was real. _

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Jareth had been floating through the Black Hole of Creation for what seemed like an hour. He didn't know what could have happened to Sarah. But he felt certain she was here in the void somewhere. It was almost like he could feel her pulling him towards her.

"Jareth…" the almost inaudible word reached Jareth's ear.

"Sarah?" There was no reply. Was he hearing things? He was becoming desperate…could he have imagined her? He had explained to Sarah and Toby that a maker could only make in the Black Hole of Creation with a human. But he hadn't explained to them why. The Black Hole was like a sponge for the beings that enter in it. It absorbs the energy emitted from the being in it. Makers know no limits to the magic they possess and so they innately emit a pure creative energy. Humans come from a magicless world where even in their earliest phases of their life they learn inhibition. They grow on skepticism and fear. The human and maker energy help create a necessary balance on a speck of dust. Without the balance a maker has no boundaries to his imagination, reality could cease to exist and the maker could lose his mind. Consequently, Jareth was concentrating on finding Sarah without using any magic. It was proving a very difficult task.

"Jareth…"

The voice did belong to Sarah, Jareth thought. She was near him. He thought he could feel her tugging harder. Ahead he was starting to make out a ripple in the blackness. He lunged forward through the black ripple and found himself standing in Sarah's childhood bedroom. Sarah was slumped down on her bed hugging her bare legs her head resting on her right knee. Jareth could feel relief in every cell of his body.

"How did you get here, dove?" his deep melodic voice cut through the silence.

Sarah raised her head to find Jareth standing a few feet ahead of her. Their eyes met and Sarah could read a fleeting look of genuine concern. He stood there in his button down poet's shirt studying her. She jumped up from the bed and ran over to Jareth wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his broad chest.

Jareth felt elation pulse through his veins as he could feel Sarah's cool skin beneath his shirt wrapping him into her soft embrace. After a few seconds frozen in delight he became painfully aware of her almost naked tiny frame pressing up against him. He shifted slightly trying to keep his building desire at bay.

Sarah held him tighter, thankful for his warm and real presence. Then she pulled back to unwind her fingers from around the back of his neck. She traced them around his head to cradle sides of his angular face. Her heart was racing and every fiber of her being was pleading with her to kiss him. She wanted to feel his soft lips on hers. She was so happy to see him. But looking into Jareth's eyes now she could see he was uncomfortable. And like that she lost all her courage. She felt silly. _Completely foolish._ She let go of Jareth, smiled amicably and said, "Uhm… thanks for coming for me."

Jareth watched Sarah carefully. For the first time in awhile he was unsure of what to say or do. He had never desired anything or anyone as much as he desired Sarah and he was beginning to wonder if she didn't want him too. But none of that mattered. They were from two different worlds entirely. When this was all over she would leave him. _Wouldn't she?_ He knew if he was with her in that way it would be the end to him. He would never make her stay and he couldn't make her love him.

"So the quest is still real?" Sarah cut through the awkward silence.

"Real as ever."

"What am I doing here?"

"Sarah, I think you created 'here.'"

"Huh?" Sarah said her eyes filled with confusion.

"You 'made' all of this."

"Bb-but we're not in the Makers Realm. And I am not a maker," Sarah said shaking her head.

"You never left the Makers Realm, Sarah."

"But I just checked outside," Sarah said gesturing to the bedroom door. "I heard Toby snoring next door."

"Toby is in the forest with Aris."

"No he's there," she insisted pointing to the room over. A heavy pause settled in Sarah's childhood bedroom. She studied Jareth's unyielding gaze and his lips tight in concern. "I don't understand."

"Sarah, it appears as if you did receive your mother's gift. You are part maker."

Sarah considered his words carefully before responding, "But I didn't consciously 'make' anything. There must be another explanation."

"You willed it into being. That is all a maker requires," Jareth replied solemnly.

"Then why hadn't I 'made' before?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe you needed the Black Hole to help you start." Jareth regarded the bewildered Sarah. "Go on, see for yourself."

Jareth watched as Sarah stepped out of the room and a moment later came back. Her face had lost its color.

"There was nothing in his room. Just black."

"You cannot conjure an already living being."

"It wasn't my intention," Sarah said sitting on the bed. She looked down suddenly aware of her lack of attire.

"I know. I have a lot to teach you."

"So, let me see. I left the Hall of Half Truths thinking I wanted an end to this nightmare, and I woke up in my fantasy bedroom like this." Sarah looked around her. "It's so real. But I should have figured it out when I woke up _in_ this." She looked down at her nightgown.

Jareth smiled coyly, "What's wrong with that? It's very nice."

Sarah blushed pulling the afghan from the foot of her bed over her bare shoulders. "I didn't pack it."

Jareth sat down next to a depleted Sarah. "Sarah, what's wrong? What happened in the Hall of Half Truths."

She looked at him defiantly, "It told me lies."

"How so?"

"The Hall said my mother was a leader for the Brotherhood. That she was here somewhere in the Black Hole." She looked up to Jareth waiting for him to intervene. When silence ensued she continued. "There has been a mistake. I swear to you Jareth, my mother is innocent."

Jareth regarded Sarah's conviction filled face. "I believe you," he said finally.

"You do?"

"Well let's just say I don't want you to scold me like your Mom did to your teacher, Ms. Cowell." A smile came to his lips. "I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. Still we have to find her. And if the Hall of Half Truths has given you some knowledge, misguided as it may be it's still a lead."

"Yes, I suppose so. What do we do next? Do we travel to the other Hall of Half Truths?"

"Maybe in due time. I know someone from Daliu who has a spy in the Brotherhood. Perhaps he would have some useful information. It might save us the long trip."

"How far is Daliu from here?"

"About a half day's journey through the Black Hole. Are you up for a little adventure?"

"And Toby? Can we take him back?"

"We can try."

Sarah laughed despite herself. "He is rather stubborn. He got that from our Dad."

"You both did." Jareth said with a coy smile.

"Hey!" Sarah laughed slapping at his arm playfully her afghan falling off one shoulder exposing her soft pale skin.

Jareth felt another jolt of passion as he took in her long elegant neck and soft shoulders just inches from his lustful mouth. Her feminine form accentuated by an ivory lace border on silk. She sat there looking vulnerable and innocent, with a warm and open smile. _On a warm, welcoming bed…_

He stood up abruptly and said, "Well, we have no time to waste. Let's get ready to go back, shall we?" He made Sarah's Makers Realm clothes handing them to her hastily. Sarah looked up at him through a bemused expression.

_Jareth really is a mystery._

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Sarah, Toby, Jareth and Aris walked side by side on a lit paved road through the blackness.

"I am sorry I cannot create something a little more elaborate," Jareth said looking over to an obviously uncomfortable Toby. "I need to see where we are going."

"But you can't see anything," Toby said shifting uncomfortably pointing a flashlight ahead of him.

"He is looking for' black ripples'. They are the veils to other worlds. They are very difficult to spot. But we need to avoid them if possible. You never know what is going on beyond the veil. Not to mention if we stumble upon a Brotherhood world," Aris said with her eyes darting through the blackness. Toby swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Toby, if you are uncomfortable we can always take you home," Sarah said hope building in her voice.

"Absolutely not. And stop pestering me about it. I'm not leaving you," Toby shot back.

"I'm only concerned for your safety, Toby."

"And I'm only concerned for yours."

"Toby, please, I have Jareth and Aris here to help."

"Exactly, I have Jareth and Aris here looking out for me too." Toby smiled in triumph.

Sarah bit down on her lower lip. It was useless to argue and she knew it. Toby was here to stay.

"Remember what we talked about," she said finally.

"Yeah yeah yeah. I know. Look, my bag is at the ready," he said lifting up the enchanted survival backpack Jareth had had created in Xumena. "If we happen to stumble into someone else's dream world. I'll ask for the necessary supplies."

Sarah clutched her own bag tightly in front of her. She sighed thinking back to the conversation they had had a few days ago with Jareth. Since they were in motion in the Black Hole of Creation they could collide with an already existing speck of dust. But something didn't make sense to her. When she visited the Goblin City all those years ago she didn't travel through the Black Hole to get to the speck of dust. She just walked out of the upstairs balcony and there it was. She was transported to that speck of dust in the Black Hole of Creation. Why couldn't they be transported to their destination now? She eyed Jareth wondering if she should pose the question now. His expression was intense as he studied the blackness around them. _No, now is not the time, _she decided.

The four continued on in silence on the paved road regarding the blackness around them.

A half an hour passed before Jareth reached out his arm blocking Sarah and Toby from continuing forward.

"There, just ahead of us," his voice pierced the silence in warning. He gestured ahead of him with a nod of his head.

Sarah tried to see where Jareth was pointing but could not make out a ripple. Jareth leaned down behind her his head just above her right shoulder. With his left arm he wrapped around her small frame and gently tilted her head to the direction of the ripple.

"Right there," he said in her ear. A chill shot through a blushing Sarah. He was so close she was sure he could hear her heart beat speed up.

"Oh." _Please don't move, _she thought. "I see it," she said after a moment. She could feel Toby and Aris' eyes probing her.

Jareth pulled away and directed Toby to the ripple.

"Do you see it now?" Jareth asked Toby.

"Wow, that tiny thing is someone's make-believe dream world?"

"That is the entrance, yes." Jareth waved his arm to adjust the paved road ahead by a few degrees to their left.

Toby began to move forward on the path with Sarah quickly behind his heels.

"Wait!" Aris cried from just behind them.

Her words had reached Toby a half second too late. He had already stepped forward and disappeared before their very eyes.

"Toby!" Sarah shouted bounding forward after him.

Jareth and Aris exchanged a heavy sigh after watching Sarah disappear in front of them.

"Well let's go." Aris said to an already moving Jareth. The two makers stepped forward out of the blackness and into a place where they were the most vulnerable, another maker's world.

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A/N: I know, I know. You want more Sarah and Jareth. It'll happen all in due time! I promise! Pleeease review. It makes sharing worth it. :)


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I still don't own the Labyrinth, Jareth, Sarah or Toby

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Chapter Fourteen

Woulda Shoulda Coulda

Cold, wet, darkness engulfed Sarah, thrusting her weightless body forward in rhythmic, but forceful waves. She gasped for air in panic as her legs fought to find a surface beneath her. Waves lashed violently at her face and she spat out salty water. _It's too deep. I need to swim. _Kicking her legs beneath her, she propelled her body upward until her rigid neck pushed her head above the water's surface. Waves continued to crash down from behind her, pushing her towards a white beach. Sarah treaded the water in place while looking anxiously about her.

"Toby?!" Her eyes struggled to make out Toby in the dark abyss. She couldn't hear anything beyond the waves. _Don't panic, _Sarah thought to herself. _Toby is a good swimmer. We aren't far from the shore it looks like. It looks like we aren't far from the shore. _She eyed the white glowing sands in front of her.

"TOBY?!" she cried louder. Her heart was racing. "Where are you?!"

"I'm here! I'm okay!" Toby's voice rang. Sarah squinted through the darkness still unable to make him out.

"Toby! Thank God! Where?!"

"I am almost to shore. But I lost," a wave interrupted the dialogue, "my backpack!" Toby shouted back.

"Okay, just hang in there, Toby. I'm coming!"

"It's fine. I'm a good swimmer, remember!" he yelled back.

Sarah could sense the cheeky grin on his face. _He finds this amusing. At least he is okay. My bag_! She pulled the heavy backpack from beneath the water's surface, water seeping from its fabric. This would be a challenge. She needed one hand to help her remain above the surface and the other to make her survival backpack demands. She clutched the backpack as steadily as she could with her teeth and fumbled clumsily with the clasp with her right hand. When she finally opened the bag she reached her hand inside and said "raft" through her clenched teeth. Sarah wasn't sure if the survival backpack would give her what she desired the most at that moment, but she had to try. _How could it fit in this small bag? _She was relieved to feel the backpack expand forcing her to let go of it before it spat out a small raft. _Thank God. _She swung the backpack over the raft and clung to the raft, letting the tide bring her to shore. She let out a shortsighted sigh of relief as her mind became clouded with new concerns. How do they get back? Where were Aris and Jareth?

The sky was lit with stars. The large moon hung low in the sky behind her, casting a silvery reflection on the rolling water. She peered ahead of her at the moon's watery path. She could make out Toby now. _He is not too far ahead of me. And we are both pretty close to shore. _She could feel her heartbeat becoming steadier and more controlled. A smile almost formed at the edge of her mouth. But as quickly as the relief had come, a new panic seized her. Ahead of her, just to her left, the moon's reflection lit an anomaly in the tide.

"TOBY!" Sarah yelled through the night's air. "SWIM TO YOUR RIGHT! NOW! HARD!"

But Sarah's screams were too late. Toby had been caught in a rip current. He was being pulled out away from the beach back towards abyss behind them. Sarah lunged forward, abandoning the useless raft. She wouldn't be able to swim fast enough to help him while pulling the raft behind her. _Does he know? _Sarah thought to herself. _You can't fight a rip current, Toby. You will exhaust yourself. People drown from exhaustion in rip currents because they don't know how to get out of it! _Swimming with all the strength her body could muster, she reached the edge of rip current.

"YOU CAN'T FIGHT IT! SWIM SIDEWAYS, NOT AGAINST THE CURRENT!" she yelled. Toby continued trying to swim forward. _He can't hear me._

She dove into the center of the rip current just as a struggling Toby came to her side. She grabbed at his wrist as he thrashed violently towards the beach.

"You can't fight it Toby! Swim sideways!"

"Sarah! No!" he said, trying harder to fight the current.

"SWIM SIDEWAYS!" she yelled.

Toby nodded and obeyed, his eyes full of fear. Sarah pushed him with all her might to the left. "Swim NOW!" she yelled, her own heavy body being pushed backwards. When she saw Toby making some headway she began swimming sideways herself. She could feel her body tiring and from the corner of her eyes she could see the beach become smaller and further away. She continued to swim, propelling herself forward until she felt a sharp shooting pain come up from the back of her calf. The searing pain immobilized her. She reached for her calf and was pulled further back and under the water. She tried to push forward but the pain shot through her left leg again. She fought with her arms and her right leg as her body was pulled under. _Oh God, what is this? I can't move it!_

"Heeeeeelp!" she screamed through the lapping water.

His hands startled her. They seemed to come out of nowhere as he pulled her fighting body towards the surface. She could only make out his form, but she recognized his broad shoulders. _Jareth. _With her back resting on his strong muscular physique and her head cradled in the crook of his neck, he slowly treaded through the water. Sarah gasped for air and closed her eyes tight. _Thank God, for this man, _she thought to herself. _I'm okay. Oh thank you, thank you, Jareth. Thank you for being there for me. _A single tear rolled down her wet cheek. When his feet touched the sand he wrapped her in his arms and he carried her, placing her weakened body on the dry shore.

"Sarah!" Toby's voice shot through the night. A feeble Sarah opened her heavy eyes and watched her brother running over to her. She let out a sigh of relief at her brother's energetic voice. _He's okay._

"Sarah!" he said again, arriving to her side. "I'm sooo sorry!"

"No, Toby, don't be sorry. I'm just glad you are okay." Her left leg was throbbing. She pulled her torso over her leg and began to massage her calf, wincing in pain.

"But you are hurt," Toby said bowing his head guiltily.

"It wasn't your fault, Toby. All of this is my mess, I'm the one who started it." She watched an unconvinced Toby. "Look, I'm alright." She waved her arms and gave a forced smile. "Thanks to Jareth."

"Jareth?" the man's voice reached her ears.

Sarah shot up and looked over her shoulder to where the man stood. _That's not Jareth's voice._

"You know my brother?" the man asked tilting his head in curiosity.

"You're Jareth's brother?" Toby asked.

Sarah looked over to the voice's owner. _Brothers? _She could understand now how she could have mistaken the two. The man before her was of the same build as Jareth. He seemed to have the same angular face. Through the moonlight she couldn't make out much difference between the two. The man leaned over and with wave of his hand built a roaring fire. _He is the maker here. _In the crackling light Sarah studied the man's appearance. _He could be the same. Except his eyes are different. His eyes are sky blue, and the corners of his eyes lift up. Like they are always smiling. _She paused a new thought surfacing. _If this isn't Jareth, then where is he? _She looked about her in concern.

"Terajh is my name," the man said with a smile. He stepped forward and titled his head in Sarah's direction. "Now, tell me," he drew in a casual breath, "what are you doing on my speck of dust?"

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Jareth watched as Terajh carried Sarah from the water. His heart was in turmoil. When he and Aris had arrived in the speck of dust amidst a black sea he was in agony. He could not find Sarah or Toby anywhere. He could see nothing but black sea. He hollered through the roar of the waves, but his cries were unheard. Worst of all he couldn't make anything to save them. _A light, a raft, a life jacket, nothing._ _I cannot make damned thing, _he thought as the feeling of utter hopelessness overwhelmed him. Where were they? Minutes passed, minutes that dragged out like hours. After a long moment, he spied a lump in the darkness, the abandoned raft. He and Aris swam towards it. After another lapsed moment, he saw a moonlit Sarah diving into a rip current after her brother. _Moments, precious moments. _He yelled at Aris to grab the raft and he swam fiercely after Sarah toward the rip current. But he couldn't swim fast enough. He wished with all his might that he could make at that moment. He had just reached the edge of the rip current when he saw her sink under the water's surface. Without thinking he plunged into the current fighting against the waves pushing him further away from her. She was too far away. He swam harder trying to reach her thrashing body just twenty feet ahead of him. But the current was too strong and he couldn't reach her. As she reemerged from the water's depths, he heard her scream, "HELP!" before sinking again beneath the surface. And that is when a man appeared before him. Jareth watched the man's back in relief as he swept his hand through the air calming the current. The man plunged in and pulled out a still moving Sarah. _She's okay. She's moving. My dearest Sarah, you are okay._ As the man turned around Jareth recognized his brother. _Terajh, this is your speck? _Terajh pulled Sarah tightly to his chest and held steady the water with a wave of his other arm. He treaded back to safety with Sarah in tow. Jareth swam across the dead rip current to the other side, moving slowly back to shore, relieved…and in turmoil. When his feet hit the wet sand he stood and watched as Terajh laid Sarah down. He watched her bend over her injured leg. He watched her brother running toward her. He watched Aris coming over. Aris hugging Terajh. Everything worked out. So why did he feel so miserable?

_I should have been the one to save her. It should have been me. I should have been there for her. But in the end, none of that matters. What matters is that she is okay. Right?_

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"For God's sake, Sarah, what the hell were you thinking?!" Sarah looked over her shoulder as Jareth emerged from the water behind her. Sarah breathed out heavily. _Good, he is okay. "_Are you insane? Or do you just have a death wish?!" Jareth's voice was laced with venom.

"Hello, brother," Terajh said.

"Hello, Terajh," Jareth said his eyes not leaving Sarah's.

"Oh, right. What was I supposed to do, Jareth? Leave Toby to drown?" Sarah's tired self retorted with a shot of adrenaline.

"You were supposed to wait for me!"

"For how long? How was I supposed to know where you were? Or if you were even coming?!"

"As long as you are in my charge, Sarah, I will always come for you. And for Toby! You need to trust in me,"Jareth said.

"And how did that work out for you this time, bro?" Terajh interrupted.

"Terajh! How could you say that to your brother?" Aris said, disappointment in her voice. "He was there. He would have saved her."

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to imply that I doubt his abilities," Terajh said. "All I mean is, regardless of the situation, if someone is danger the person closest in proximity should try and save them."

"Even if that puts them in peril themselves?" Jareth said eying Sarah.

"Evidently this one," Terajh said gesturing to Toby, "is important to that one." His slender finger shifted from Toby to Sarah. "Who wouldn't risk their lives for someone they love?"

"_Toby _and_ Sarah_," Aris offered, nodding to the two mortals respectively.

Jareth regarded his younger brother carefully. "You may be right," he said finally. He was being a hypocrite. Hadn't he done the same thing as Sarah? Hadn't he plunged into danger for someone he loved? Only_ he_ hadn't succeeded in saving her. Terajh had. Jareth hung his head in defeat and let out loaded sigh.

"Still, I wish you would be less impulsive, Sarah. If you hadn't rushed after Toby in the Black Hole we could have all arrived together. Maybe all of this could have been avoided." Jareth said after a moment's silence.

Sarah watched the soaked Jareth and began to take in the scene around her. Jareth, Toby, Aris, and Terajh were all standing in a half circle around her. Their hair and clothes glued to their skin and water dripping on the dry sand below. There they stood like wet pillars, each of them peering down at her with a look of grave concern plastered to their faces. They had all just stumbled into a sopping mess. Before she knew it her own bleak expression broke into a hardy laugh.

"What?" Toby asked in bewilderment.

Sarah's laughed harder, "I don't know."

"Did you drink too much salt water?"

"No-oow-hhhee!" Sarah managed through heaves of laughter. "It's just… ha ha ha…it's just…it's so utterly ridiculous!" Sarah gestured at all of them and herself. "Like drowned rats!" She continued laughing.

Toby looked around him taking in the scene before him. He began to laugh himself as he considered the state the usually perfect Aris and Jareth. Aris and Terajh exchanged bewildered glances before they broke into laughter as well.

"It isn't a laughing matter," Jareth said to the loud group. He watched them as their stress melted away with their hooting and howling.

"Yes, yes it is." Sarah said in laughing protest. Jareth regarded Sarah who smiled up at him warmly. He had forgotten about her contagious laugh. He hadn't heard it in over sixty maker years. For the moment she was the carefree Sarah he knew before her mother had disappeared. She was radiant. His lips began to twitch upward despite himself. Now the more he tried to remain serious the harder his grave demeanor was to maintain. In the end he succumbed to the contagious laughter around him. _After all, _he thought, _we could all use a good laugh right about now._

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A/N: For those of you who will get the reference I was inspired by "Boys Before Flowers" in this chapter. Which I don't own either. Pretty please, review!

Also, I would like to thank the awesome HEW for her time and effort as my new Beta. She is not only a stellar editor but a talented writer as well! Thank you HEW for all your shared wisdom on Chapter Fourteen.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Jareth, Sarah, Toby and the Labyrinth are not mine.

The Maker's Realm and the other characters within are...hope you like them.

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Chapter Fifteen

Now I lay me down to sleep.

Sarah sat massaging her left leg as she watched Terajh making and distributing dry clothing to the others. After a while he turned to Sarah. He bent down on one knee, leaning into her for a private audience. His white blonde hair glowed in the moonlight.

"And you… you are hurt," he said, placing his hand on her lower leg.

Sarah's breath caught in her chest. His forwardness shocked her_. It must run in the family,_ she thought, remembering Jareth's advances when slitting her pencil skirt two days before.

"I have to touch you to heal you," he explained, noticing her discomfort. "It is purely professional," he added with a contradicting grin.

"Uh huh. You are indeed Jareth's brother."

"Well, I do imagine there would be some similarities. However, I did get all the good looks." He smiled at Sarah while gently caressing her leg. "It hurts here?" he asked while running his hand over her calf muscle.

"Yes, it was a sharp stabbing pain that came on very suddenly."

"A swim cramp. Probably caused by excessive tension from the force of your muscle contractions. It would go away on its own, but I can't stand to see a pretty girl in pain," he said through a pearly grin. He brushed his fingertips gently across her left lower leg. Sarah felt a tingling sensation follow the path his fingers created. The pain was gone.

"Oh, thank you," she said smiling at him. She stood up, rotating her ankle in a clockwise motion. "It doesn't hurt at all." Sarah could feel Jareth's eyes staring hard at them both. Why was she suddenly feeling self conscious? Sarah tried to brush the sand from her wet tunic, but the sheer white fabric was pasted to her skin. Her hair draped down like a wet sheet around her ashen face. A cool breeze came from the sea chilling her skin.

"What next?" Sarah said through chattering teeth.

Terajh casually waved his hand through the air, and then handed her new maker's clothes.

"Go on, go change," he said gesturing behind him in the woods.

Sarah wrapped her hands gratefully around a bundle of emerald silk. _It will feel great to get into something warm and dry_, she thought. She left Terajh and Jareth with a smile before entering the thick vegetation at the edge of the woods. It was much quieter here. She could no longer make out the others' voices. _Strange,_ she thought, _it's so silent. Too silent. Not a single chirp, hoot, croak, or buzz to be heard. _The silent enigma in the forest rendered her own movements deafening in comparison. Following every footfall was the low booming sound of thunder. Every broken twig was a tree splitting violently in two. Her own breath was a howling windstorm. When she reached a small clearing gently lit by the moon's silver glow, she unfolded the emerald bundle and draped it on low hanging branch. She had begun to unlace her heavy wet bodice when she heard the ring of a clear voice behind her. She jumped, startled, spinning around to see a young girl perched delicately on a large grey stone. The girl wore a long white cotton night gown with a lace hem. Her face and skin glowed in the moonlight, creating a stark contrast with the raven locks tumbling down her shoulders.

"It's a beautiful dress," the girl said. She eyed Sarah's dress through long dark lashes.

"You startled me," Sarah said. She regarded the girl closely. _ She looks like she could be Toby's age._

"Is it for the Harvest Festival?"

"Hmm?"

"Melody, I have been waiting and waiting and waiting…" the girl said dreamily.

Sarah looked up at the girl, puzzled, "Melody?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't come," she pouted.

"I'm sorry, my name is Sar…erhhh….Kelesa of the-" Sarah stopped mid-sentence. _What was the name of the clan again? _

"But you always keep your word, Melo."

"Ehh…are you looking for this…Melo?" Sarah asked.

"It feels like an eternity." The young girl pulled herself off the grey stone, wandering to a thick wall of ivy in the clearing. "Waiting for Melo," she purred, spinning around in circles. Her nightgown was a blizzard of snow-white cotton.

Sarah's heart became heavy as the reality dawned on her. This young girl was the mortal. And she was trapped here. _ What was it that Jareth had said? Some coma patients were stuck here in a permanent dream state._ _This poor girl. How long has she been here? How did she fall into a coma? _

"I would have gone home on my own, but I seem to have lost my way." She giggled and continued spinning faster.

"Let me help you find it," Sarah offered, her eyes full of hope.

"That's why I am so happy to see you, Melo, you have come to take me home." The young girl stopped spinning. Her smile vanished and her eyes took on a grave expression. "I lost my path. You will help me, right? It was right here. I remember I saw it. Just over here, Melo." The young girl returned to the ivy wall. She stared at it venomously.

"Are you sure it was here?" Sarah asked.

"Melo, _this_ is now here where the path used to be. Please, Melo, help me," she said, her voice beginning to take on an anxious tone. She began pulling at the overgrowth.

Sarah knelt down next to the girl and began tugging fistfuls of dark green leaves and small branches. _Is it me, or did it just grow thicker?_

"I want to go home!" said the young girl, ripping more desperately at the leaves.

"I know you do."

The young girl continued to wrench with all her strength at the vines. "It won't budge! They keep coming back! Melo? Please, help me!" she pleaded through mounting tears.

Sarah felt the entire weight of the girl's desperation. _I want to help you. I don't know how._

"I'm here," Sarah said finally, "Melo is here."

"Oowh!" the girl jerked back her hand, tears rolling down her pale cheeks.

"What is it?"

"Thorns! There are stupid-" a sob interrupted her words, "thooorns!"

Sarah grabbed the girl's injured hand and felt a light jolt from the girl's touch. _That was strange. _ She folded over her hand studying her pale skin. She was unharmed.

"Look, there is no wound. You'll be okay," Sarah said finally, wishing she could mean it in the full sense of the word.

"The path… Melo look, the path, it's here! Look!"

Sarah turned her head back to the ivy wall and watched as the last of the vines receded into thin air, leaving an iridescent path that slit through the dense woods.

"It's here!" The girl wiped at her wet cheeks. "Let's go!" she said tugging at Sarah's sleeve. "Aren't you coming, Melo? Melo?"

Sarah bit her lower lip, not sure what to do next.

"Okay, I'll meet you there, Melo." The young girl encircled Sarah with a warm hug before darting away through the glowing path.

Silence fell over the clearing once more as Sarah stared down the trail. With a worried sigh she turned around and walked back to her emerald dress. _I hope she finds her way back home. _Sarah slipped out of her wet maker's clothes and reached for the dress Terajh had made her. _Wow, _she thought, _it really is a beautiful dress. _

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"So, what is the story here?" Terajh asked, pulling his older brother away from the rest of the group. "If I am not mistaken, those are a couple of mortals that you have crossing the Black Hole."

"And if they are?" Jareth replied.

"Did you register them?"

"Of course, I did." Jareth said to his brother in an irritated tone.

Terajh looked over his shoulder to where Sarah had exited into the woods, "So they have signed the mortal registry agreement?"

"Of course."

Terajh took in his brother's words with a surprised expression. "You are risking a lot, don't you think, brother?"

"No, I don't."

"Who are they to you?"

"She is looking for her mother. He is her brother," Jareth replied frankly.

"Why would her mother be here?" Terajh asked in bewilderment. "Is she a coma patient?"

"No. Her mother is a maker." Jareth said, anticipating the stunned look that crossed his brother's face.

"She's half maker, that…Sarah, is half maker?"

"Yes, 'that Sarah' is half maker and half human."

"And can_ she _make?"

"She can. But she doesn't know how."

Terajh's eyes drifted back to the woods where Sarah had gone to change. He paused, frowned, and shifted his gaze to the flickering flames before him.

"And her mother?"

"'The Iniquitous Olina.'"

Terajh's eyes were two topaz saucers as he redirected his attention to Jareth.

"Her mother is 'Iniquitous Olina'?"

"You have heard of her then?"

"You could say that." Terajh said to Jareth, still in disbelief. "It can't be her."

"The Hall of Half Truths has confirmed it." Jareth said as he watched his brother shifting uncomfortably.

"And she wants to find her? She understands what that means?"

Jareth shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh of discontent. "She understands that she has questions that need to be answered. Why her mother left? Is she okay? Did she love her? "

"Olina doesn't love anyone, let alone a mortal," Terajh said with conviction.

"So we have been informed."

"This is a suicide mission and you are helping her." Terajh regarded his brother, his lips stretched tight in worry. "You are bringing a gazelle into the lion's den."

Jareth frowned. His eyes filled with worry.

"You will be guilty by association. You do understand that?"

"I understand that I made a promise. I intend to keep it."

"No one could fault you for breaking this promise."

"I would."

"This is ludicrous! You can't waltz into the heart of the Brotherhood, introduce Sarah to Irene and hope that everything turns out alright!"

"You are absolutely right. I do not intend on bringing Sarah to the Brotherhood. We need a way to meet Olina in neutral ground where she will not have the advantage. Alone. She was born in Makers Land. The NMZ and traveling maker's laws still apply to her. She will suffer the same consequences as any other maker not in the Black Hole or in their hometown if she uses magic."

"And how do you intend on isolating her from the rest of the Brotherhood?"

"I don't know. I have a contact in Daliu who might be able to help us infiltrate the communications of the Brotherhood."

"In Daliu? Someone I know?"

"No, I don't think so," Jareth said before the two fell into momentary silence.

Terajh frowned again glancing between Jareth and the woods. He cleared his throat and looked squarely at his brother. "Fine, if you insist on doing this I am coming along."

"Absolutely not," Jareth responded, his mouth an angry straight line.

"Absolutely yes. You need all the help you can get."

"I have Aris."

"One Aris does not a brother make." Terajh smiled from ear to ear before adding, "I'm your own flesh and blood. Who could have your back more? "

"Exactly, you are my flesh and blood and I would spend too much time worrying about you."

"Let me put it another way. You are on my speck of dust. I am the maker here. I didn't want to play this card but… I won't let you leave my speck of dust until you promise to let me join you and your group. I know how much value you place in your promises."

"It is a good try Terajh, but your mortal dreamer should be waking up soon."

"I didn't tell you? It has been a long time since we have seen each other. I have the Coma 2 Patient license. My mortal has been stuck in this dream state for years. She won't be waking up anytime soon. You know how it works with Coma 2 patients. She'll be sleeping still when we get back from the suicide mission."

Jareth let out a sigh of defeat. "Okay, you win. I promise to let you join us."

"Ahhhh…that's what I wanted to hear." Terajh smiled warmly at his brother.

Jareth studied his little brother carefully. He was a good 'kid' and quite a bit younger than himself. Jareth had been out of the house already for several years when Terajh had come into the world. Still when Terajh had been made, Jareth found himself drawn home much more often than not. He loved his little brother. He used to take him fishing in their town's moat. Terajh would always insist on jumping in the murky waters to chase the fish away. He would come home a muddy mess. Their mother would chide Jareth and praise her "Monster of the Moat." Jareth never took it to heart how his mother seemed to prefer Terajh. Then about fifteen maker's years ago she passed away in an accident in NMZ. Terajh had left home that summer and he had been making in the Black Hole ever since. Jareth understood his brother's desire to escape, but he had to admit he had missed him a lot.

A moment passed with the two brothers standing in silence, watching the rolling waves. In the darkness the tide seemed as murky as the water in their childhood moat.

"I missed you." Jareth said finally.

"Me too, big brother." Terajh said nodding his head. "Me too."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"He's coming with us." Jareth said to Aris as she rung out the survival backpacks she had found further up the shore. The two were alone, having left the group making s'mores behind them.

"He is?"

"Is it surprising?" Jareth asked, eying her curiously.

"No, I guess not. I just haven't seen him since he was in diapers." She tossed the wet bags over her shoulder and turned to Jareth. "Jareth, he's your brother, I know you love him, but do you trust him?"

"He's a good kid."

"He is definitely not a kid anymore."

"He's thirty four years old. By my standards he is a kid."

"Jareth…"

"Aris, when you live to a thousand, thirty is a kid by anyone's standards," Jareth continued.

"Yes, I suppose so. But from that viewpoint, you and I are kids too."

"Young adults," Jareth corrected with a smile. "We are more than triple his age."

"Sarah is a kid then?"

"Sarah hasn't been a kid since her mother's disappearance."

"Terajh lost his mother too," Aris said, as she began to amble forward.

"Yes, he did. Maybe you are right, Aris. But it's hard to see him as anything but my little brother. The last time I saw him he was just nineteen. He couldn't even make yet."

"Well, he can certainly make now."

"Indeed, did you see this? Fairly impressive, no?"Jareth said gesturing around him. "Terajh has a nice eye for detail. He takes after me."

"He does have a certain flair…"she said with a smile. She stopped in her tracks and looked up to Jareth. "But you didn't answer my question. Sarah, she's special. The brotherhood would love nothing more than to…" her voice became a whisper, "_abduct_ her. Are you sure you trust him?"

"He's my brother. Of course I do."

"You told him everything?" Aris continued, her face contorted in worry.

"Yes." Jareth replied bluntly.

"So you told him about the raft?"

Jareth looked at Aris through knowing eyes. She was always a sharp woman.

"No." He said a moment later.

"Good. We should keep that one to ourselves."

The two makers trudged forward in silence to meet up with the rest of the group. Jareth could see Sarah ahead of him. She was sitting on a log next to Toby. Her smiling face lit by dancing red flames. She looked so peaceful at that moment. _Should I tell her? _He thought to himself. _I promised her no more secrets. _Sarah pulled a metal roasting fork out of the fire. She was trying to gently pull off a steaming marshmallow between two pieces of graham crackers eyes full of joy. _I should tell her. _

_But how do I tell her that she's the most powerful maker of all time?_

After a few moments walking in silence, Jareth and Aris reached the rest of the group. Jareth looked down at Sarah and Toby. It looked like the maker's attire Terajh had offered was of a different sort. Toby was wearing a long tan silk tunic with an oriental red dragon embroidered down the center. The hems of his sleeves were embroidered with flames. Sarah wore an emerald kimono-esque silk dress. Her hair was fastened up in layers of loose curls above her head. _Beautiful,_ he thought.

"Very good. Galle attire." Jareth said approvingly to his younger brother.

"Galle?" Toby asked.

"Galle is one of the largest maker's cities. We will need to change your aliases. And with a large city like Galle it will be harder for others to confirm your clan," Aris said

"The Urcell clan?" Terajh offered.

"Emry and Solace of the Urcell clan." Jareth added, pointing to Toby and Sarah respectively.

Sarah sat, watching the makers converse among themselves. She felt invisible. The subject was her and Toby, but Jareth had yet to address her since his outburst an hour before.

"Solace," she said finding her voice.

Jareth looked at her with gentle eyes. She felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"Ehh..yes. It's a beautiful name," Sarah said, matching Jareth's gaze.

"Beautiful name for a beautiful girl," Terajh said, interrupting their reverie. "So, Sarah, how did you find out your mother was from the Makers Realm?"

"I found a-" Sarah was interrupted by a loud ripping sound that echoed brutally through the speck of dust. "WHAT IS THAT?!" she yelled over a deafening gushing noise, resonating from the sea. The water began to recede and then to vanish.

Terajh, Jareth, and Aris exchanged knowing glances.

"GRAB HOLD!" Jareth cried while holding out his hand to Sarah and Toby. The two latched on obediently, Aris and Terajh following suit.

Sarah watched as the sky broke away above her, making room for a blackness that came to engulf the speck of dust. The sand beneath their feet began to slip away and Sarah stared as the vegetation from the woods was sucked out into the black abyss.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" Sarah hollered over the commotion.

"MY MORTAL," Terajh shouted, "SHE WOKE UP."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading this week's chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please be kind and review. :)

A very special thank you to the smart and talented HEW for her continuous time and effort as my Beta Reader. She is also a very good writer. If you get a chance, you should check out her work...


	17. Chapter 16

Still not mine ;)

* * *

Chapter Sixteen

Stand by me

Toby felt as if he were on a merry-go-round. He was spinning faster and faster and the blurred world around him was making him nauseous. _But I'm not spinning. _WE_ are not spinning, _he thought. _I don't feel the wind on my face, and the others don't seem to be swept up in motion. _He focused his eyes on his frozen sister and friends. _The world is racing around us. _Toby tried to digest the events that had just come to pass. The sea had disappeared like water draining out of a bathtub. _If the bathtub was a huge black hole, _he mused. Then the sand had given way to the gaping void. He refused to look down again, fear remounting in the pit of stomach. _No, I will not think about the fact that I am now suspended in air. Floating, as it would it seem, _he thought, resisting the urge to reach in vain for his footing. _And now, like a grand finale (at least I hope) the last of the trees and rocks are swirling around my head like a tornado. And I am in the eye of the storm. _Even as he considered the metaphor he watched as the blurred world thinned to a hungry blackness. _Will it consume us too? _

"SHE WOKE UP?!" Toby heard Sarah shout through the sound of the world around them being vacuumed into nothingness.

"YES!" Terajh shot back. The group stood hand in hand as the blaring noise began to subside to a persistent hum, the whirlpool of trees dissipating around them. Toby watched as Jareth let go his and wrist and waved his hand, creating ground beneath their feet. _Whewh, _he thought relieved to rediscover solid ground. Jareth conjured two lanterns, handing them to Aris and Terajh.

"Well then, that's good news," Sarah said. "She woke up from her coma." Toby could just make out a smiling Sarah through the dim light of the lantern Terajh held before them. Terajh squinted at Sarah through the darkness.

"You knew she was in a coma? How did-"

"I told her," Jareth cut in.

"You did?" Terajh asked, whipping around toward Jareth, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Yes, I had to explain to her your foray into extortion," Jareth said with a pert half smile.

Toby returned his attention back to Sarah as she opened her mouth in protest. She was silenced by a vigorous shake of Aris' head. _What was that all about? Seriously, am I the last to know everything? _He considered the look of warning in Aris' expression. _Whatever that is, it can't be good. _

"Will it come for us too?!" Toby said over the low hum, thinking a change in subject may be in order.

"What's that?" Aris asked looking at Toby in relief.

Toby gestured around him, "that." _Yes, let's just exchange one uncomfortable subject for another. _

"Oh. The Black Hole. No, it's _mostly_ safe," she said.

"Mostly?" Sarah asked.

"Well, we have run into a _small _glitch now that we are back here."

"Glitch?" Sarah insisted, turning now to Jareth. Toby studied the faces of the three makers. He wasn't sure what they weren't saying but he knew 'small glitch' was not an accurate description. _They can never say what they really mean. _

"Well, look around you, Sarah. In your opinion, which way should we go?" Jareth asked.

"You are asking me? I wouldn't have the slightest idea. I haven't even seen Dalio-"

"Daliu," Jareth corrected.

"Daliu on a map. Let alone…" Sarah stopped, looking around her. A look of realization came over her. "Which is absolutely irrelevant."

"Indeed," Jareth said.

"Wait, now I'm still lost," Toby said looking at the two in bewilderment. _What was he missing?_

"Exactly," Aris injected the conversation. "We are lost. We no longer have our bearings for which direction is which. We are in a black hole as far as the eye can see. We did not exit the way we came in. So we are lost."

"Well, can't we just magically create a compass?" Toby asked, puzzled.

"Remember what he showed us, Tobes? The map of the Makers Realm? It's a figure eight, not a globe. I don't think north, south, east and west even exist here."

"Nope. Sorry, mate. They don't exist in the Makers Realm." Terajh said, patting Toby on the back.

"Well, couldn't we just find the path we were using earlier? The one Jareth created before we entered into the speck of dust?" Toby looked at the others around him. Their bleak expressions were their nonverbal response.

"If I understand it correctly, that path was made as a moving speck of dust. Jareth used our human energy to create it. Once we all left for Terajh's speck of dust, it should have disappeared."

"The girl has done her homework," Terajh said to Jareth. "And you said she was a poor student."

"Poor student?!" Sarah said, shooting Jareth a sideways glance.

"I didn't say that. I said you didn't know how to make."

"Wait, what?" Toby asked, "Why should she know how to make?" Toby watched as the four adults turned their silent attention to him. "What am I missing now?" He studied their laden faces.

"Well, uhh, as it turns out-" Sarah started

"Holy sh*t!" Toby interrupted. "Wait, are you going to tell me you are… Wait a minute, no. It's not possible. No," Toby said shaking his head in protest. "You would have told me." Toby looked at the four silent adults before him. _If the black hole had crickets! _ _Silence? Come on guys, say something!_

"Well, you see…,"Sarah said finally, shifting uncomfortably.

"Oh, No! Sarah! I can't believe you didn't think it was important to tell me you are a maker."

"Well, technically I am _half _maker. And I just found out. I made once and I don't know how I did it."

"Sh*t!" Toby spat out. Sarah's eyes narrowed.

"Hey, watch the language," she scolded.

"Sh*t, damn- it, f-!"

"Toby!" Sarah interrupted.

"No, don't 'Toby' me. You should have told me! I'm your brother! You always treat me like a kid. I'm tired of being the last one to know everything. The secret glances, the innuendos, the hushed voices! I see and hear it all, and I haven't said anything, but not anymore. I am here for the long haul, I want to help, but you keep treating me as 'just a kid.'"

"But you are 'just a kid,' and I want to protect you."

"No, I'm not a kid anymore. Sarah, you are off in Cambridge most of the time so you missed it, but I grew up. You can't keep seeing me as the baby brother you used to spend your weekends babysitting. I don't need a babysitter. What I need is to be taken seriously. And what exactly are you trying to protect me from? I am already here. I'm invested one hundred percent. Which means I deserve to know everything you do. Uncensored, like an adult." Toby could feel the tension of the last few days draining out of him.

"Are you done?" Sarah asked flatly.

"Yeah, I suppose I am," Toby said with the edge still in his voice.

"You are right," Sarah said frowning.

"I am?"

"Yes. I am sorry. You deserve to know everything I do." She reached over and wrapped Toby in her arms. "I was trying to protect your childhood, but you are right, you have grown up too fast, and you are tangled up in all my mess."

"It was my choice, Sare. I wanted to do this."

"Still…I know it was a sacrifice. I promise I will be more forthcoming."

"Okay, that's all I ask."

"You got it. Yes, but Toby, one _small_ thing…"

"Yeah?"

"YOUR LANGUAGE! Watch your language!"

"Oookay, it's a deal. I'll _watch_ my language… if you stop keeping things from me." Toby looked back to the three makers that were trying unsuccessfully to appear preoccupied.

"Well, we will just have to pick a direction. I say… that way," he said pointing to his right.

"Precisely my thinking, mate," Terajh said with a smile.

Jareth waved his arm and created a lit path that cut across the blackness. He turned to Toby and Sarah and said, "Shall we?"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Jareth studied the area around him carefully. They had just passed the boundary of the Black Hole onto Maker's land. It was night, but after leaving the dark abyss, Jareth could see clearly every single blade of grass. A blue moon hung low in the sky between two smoky mountains separated by a luminous lake. He recognized the landscape almost immediately. This was Ashcombe Valley. They weren't far from Jorg. _This could work to our advantage_, he mused. _If we could get back to Jorg, I could send Hobbs ahead to Daliu. _He looked over his shoulder at Sarah who was taking in the natural scenery in awe. The thought of showing Sarah Jorg made him feel anxious and excited at once. _Would she like it? _He had barely dared to dream of her in his home, among the most intimate part of his own history. Aris was the only other non-member of the Jorg clan to see him in his place of birth. _Oh, Sarah, how you turn my world, you precious thing. _

"Ashcombe!" Terajh said cutting through the group's silent trance. "This is an interesting turn of events. Wouldn't you say, brother?"

Jareth turned his attention to a smiling Terajh, "I am certain our father would love to see you."

"It has been a long time. He probably won't recognize me."

"A father always knows his son," Aris said reassuringly.

"Wait…we landed in your hometown?" Toby asked Jareth.

"Not exactly. We are from the Jorg clan, about one town over."

"Is it much further?" Toby inquired, sitting down on nearby tree stump.

"A few hours by foot. I think we should all get some rest and we will set out first thing tomorrow morning. Sarah," Jareth said leading Sarah by the elbow away from the group, their bodies inches apart. "I think I will be able to obtain some useful information about your mother if we go to Jorg. I think it could be wise to stop there first." Jareth peered down at a flushed Sarah. He could feel the heat emanating from her body.

"Of course," she managed after a moment. "If it would be useful." She stared up into Jareth's eyes, "And there is your brother to consider. He should see his father again."

"Thank you, Sarah, for your understanding." Jareth's heart was racing. He had liked the feisty, firecracker he had first introduced to the Maker's Realm. But this woman, this dear, gentle woman…he loved her. _With every fiber of my being. _

"We should get going," Terajh interrupted.

Jareth peeled himself reluctantly away and began to walk the short distance to the base of one of the mountains. _Tomorrow would be eventful indeed._

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::

Sarah wasn't sure why they were walking towards the base of a mountain. She was looking around for the town of Ashcombe but she could see no lights. She looked up. _I hope we aren't climbing that_, she thought, her eyes following up the steep slope of the mountain. When they reached the foot of the giant mass of rock, Jareth and Terajh led the group to a sheet of cascading water that drained into the lake.

"Friends of Ashcombe, seeking the Inn," Jareth said to the waterfall.

The enchanted water pulled away like a curtain, exposing a small wooden door. A stone bridge began to extend from the mountain, allowing passage.

"Welcome to Ashcombe," Jareth said as he stepped out onto the bridge. "Toby, in your backpack, please ask for a rag."

Sarah watched as Toby followed orders, holding out a large grey piece of fabric.

"Could you begin ripping it into small bands?"

"Uh, okay." Toby said, looking perplexed.

"You'll understand why soon enough, mate," Terajh said to the confused boy.

Jareth walked ahead of the group and opened the small wooden door. "Everyone stick together," his voice warned. He gestured to Toby, Terajh, and Aris to move ahead of them. As Terajh opened the wooden door to golden light, Sarah could feel a cool gust of damp air emanating towards her. "Sarah, stay by my side."

"Alright, Jareth." Sarah looked up to concerned eyes. _Is it dangerous, here? _ Ducking into the threshold of the small door she immediately understood. From where the group stood they could see four different entrances into a giant stone maze. The maze's walls were about three meters high, but they looked tiny under the vast cave's stalactite ceiling. Thousands of candles were suspended in air to light the immense underground labyrinth. _I'm in the big leagues now, _she thought remembering her last Labyrinth adventure.

"The Inn is down the third entrance to the right. Toby, along the wall you will see every few hundred meters a metal pole with a hook at the top. Those are markers, for non-Ashcombe folk, like us. The bands of fabric will be tied around the markers to indicate which path we took. This way, in case we do get separated, we will be able to find our way back."

"Okay, cool," Toby said nodding his head in approval. "An underground maze! This is awesome."

"The Inn is only about twenty minutes from here, if you know the way." Terajh added to the group. "Fortunately, we do."

Terajh ventured forward and the others followed suit, Jareth and Sarah trailing behind. Sarah wanted to ask Jareth why he had lied to Terajh about the girl in the coma, but the group was too close together. She knew now wasn't the time. Would she ever be alone with Jareth? _Alone with Jareth... _Her eyes flickered up to Jareth's square jaw and determined lips. _On second thought, being alone with him may prove to be very distracting. _

The group passed easily through the maze, stopping every few hundred meters to fasten their markers. They passed hundreds of stone archways, forks in the path, and several dead ends. Sarah tried to make a mental note of all the turns the group made, but after fifteen mixed right and lefts she found her brain in overdrive. _How could they possibly know this by heart?_

"It's overwhelming, is it not?" Jareth said peering down at Sarah.

"Yes, it is. How could you remember all this?"

"Years of repetition. Don't forget, Sarah, I'm quite a bit older than you."

"How much older?"

"Sarah, Sarah, such a direct question. I will give you a direct answer. I am twenty seven human years old."

"That's direct? I need a calculator. Let's see. You said there are six maker hours for every human hour, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, that would be four maker hours per twenty four human hours… so that would only be a quarter of your real age." Sarah calculated internally, "You are a hundred and eight years old?!"

Sarah watched as Jareth snickered to himself.

"See, you didn't need a calculator."

"What?" Toby said, "Wow! You look good for your age."

"We both do I hope," Aris said smiling back at the group.

Sarah watched as Toby's jaw dropped in a dumbfounded "oh."

"The aging process slows down very rapidly after the maker reaches adulthood," Aris offered the group.

Sarah stared up at Jareth through a perplexed expression.

"What is it, dove?" Jareth asked feeling her persistent stare.

"I am just wondering, what does that mean for me?" The group stopped walking and turned their attention to Sarah. "If I'm half maker, half human, how long should I be expected to live?"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sarah thrashed restlessly under thin ivory sheets. She was lying on a large oval bed inside a stone chamber. She wasn't sure of the time, but she was certain she hadn't slept for more than a few hours. Everyone would still be fast asleep. Sarah re-lit the candle next to her bed and turned over on her stomach, posing her chin on her hands. She stared firmly at the wall in front of her. Through that layer of stone lay Jareth. _If the wall wasn't between us, would we be in arms reach?_ Sarah thought to herself, letting out a loaded sigh into the gloomy room. _If I could only will the wall into non-existence._ Her mind began to wander as her fingers ran over her soft lips. _What would it feel like to be kissed by Jareth? _ She sighed again twisting over on her back again. If her mind kept wandering in this direction she would never sleep.

With everything that had happened and everything that was going to happen, Jareth was still her first thought when she woke up and her last thought before falling asleep. In consequence she was becoming sleep deprived. Thinking about Jareth made it almost impossible to fall asleep and when she did sleep, her own excitement made the sleep shallow and fitful. She sat up in her bed. _What I need is a good distraction. _But the room was barren and had no windows. Sleeping in a labyrinth cave certainly had its drawbacks.

Just then Sarah's attention was drawn to a soft rustling sound cutting through the heavy silence. She turned her head to the source of the sound and watched as a piece of paper was slid under the door. The parchment was folded neatly into two with the name "Solace of the Urcell Clan."

Surprised, Sarah opened the parchment and read the contents:

_Hi Sarah, _

_It's Toby. I had Marion (the innkeeper we met last night) deliver this to you… Just wanted you to know that we have been up for awhile waiting on you! You must be tired though, so we decided to let you sleep. Regardless, we are hungry…so we are going to grab something to eat at the restaurant. When you are up, come join us there. Jareth says to just follow the markers we took here. It's about halfway down, on your right. _

_See you soon!_

_Toby_

Sarah turned over the letter repeatedly. It was strange, was it not? The letter was definitely in Toby's handwriting and certainly seemed like something he would write, but the contents… She hadn't slept for more than a couple hours. And Jareth wouldn't leave her behind. What had he said yesterday about sticking together? But the letter was definitely from her brother.

Sarah pulled on her green dress, grabbed her makers backpack, and left the chamber. She hesitated over Jareth's door, her hand ready to knock. _But what if it is some mistake and I wake up Jareth for nothing?_ She decided to try Toby's room instead. If it was just a mistake, she wouldn't feel bad for waking him up, and he would have to explain his mysterious letter. She knocked at the door waiting for him to respond. _Come on Toby,_ she thought to herself. But the hall remained as silent as the grave. She looked down again at her letter, which now felt so heavy in her hands. She followed the stone corridor down to the reception desk.

"Marion?"

There was no reply. _What is it with this place? _She asked herself, looking frantically for some kind of clock. _There are no windows in a cave so you can't determine the hour of day by looking outside. Then why don't they have a clock!? Something doesn't feel right._ She stood teetering at the threshold between the Inn and the stone labyrinth. The deserted Inn, the deserted labyrinth, it felt like all other beings had melted away, leaving only a deadening silence. She had to make a choice. _Okay Toby, _she thought to herself. _I will bite. _She walked slowly through the candle lit labyrinth. The air was cool and damp around her skin, raising the hair on her arms. Her steps echoed through the maze, highlighting her own sense of isolation. She came upon the first marker, studying her environment. Everything appeared as it had the night before. She continued on, picking up speed and confidence, though her body was still tight with worry. _The second marker, _she thought spying another piece of grey fabric down a path to the right, _still looks familiar. _She passed several more markers turning right and left under stone archways. _Where is this restaurant? _She had been walking for almost ten minutes. Sarah slowed to a stop. Ahead of her, down another stone corridor, she could make out two archways filtering in golden light before the next marker. If she followed the cloth tethered to the pole ahead she should pass across the parallel entries and continue down the long hall. She played back in her mind the journey on the way to the Inn the night before. She hadn't passed any parallel archways, had she? She did pass through one archway, then see another in front of her and turn right. She could remember that. She stared ahead puzzled. Her gut was telling her to turn left, but the proof of their trip was encouraging her forward. _I wish Jareth was here! _she screamed inwardly. She breathed in a sigh of anticipation and continued forward. Her footsteps were slow rhythmic taps on pavement as she studied the stone walls around her. Everything looked the same, it was impossible to be sure. At the next intersection she looked down the archway to her left and saw another piece of grey cloth tied ahead. She turned left warily. Her heart began to race as she walked slowly beyond the marker into a darker corridor. There were dark shadows moving along a wall dimly lit by an adjacent archway.

"Hello," she said, the words echoing back.

"Jareth? Toby?" her words resounded mockingly. She reached the edge of the dark corridor and peered carefully into a small room in front of her. _An alcove?_ _There must be another entrance. _Sarah walked cautiously into the closed space, sweeping her eyes vigilantly from left to right. The man was to her right, glued against the entrance wall. She had felt his hands ripping at her before she had seen him. A set of angry brown eyes clad in black glared down at her. The man pulled her into his muscular build, wrapping his heavy arms around her fighting body.

"HEEEELP!" Sarah managed before she was silenced by a man's sweaty palm.

"HUSH!" He hissed through a disgusted mouth. "I was told to bring you back alive, but just give me an excuse… So you are the mortal-maker mutt."

Sarah thrashed harder in the man's tight grip, biting down on his salty hand.

"You stupid mutt!" the man said releasing her. Sarah tried to dart away but was ensnared again by the trail of her silk dress.

"That will cost you," the man's voice boomed.

His force pulled her legs out from beneath her and she was sent crashing to the stone floor. Pain shot out from her chin and elbows as she began writhing on the ground towards the exit, kicking her assailant with all the strength she could muster.

"JARETH!" Sarah yelled as she wrangled forward.

"He's not here to help you," the man said turning her over on her back. He gripped her lashing hands steady and sat on her pelvis. "Tape," he said. Tape scotched itself to her mouth. "Jareth isn't going to save you. You aren't very bright are you? Haven't you heard you shouldn't believe everything you read? He's still fast asleep."

Sarah looked up through tear filled eyes, just in time to see Jareth swoop in behind the black clad assailant. His face was contorted in rage as he violently wound up a stone in his hand above his head, and sent it flying at Sarah's attacker. The stone hit the man square in the back, and he turned on Jareth . Sarah shot up, ripping the tape off her mouth and watching the two men size each other up. The man in black began to angrily charge at Jareth.

"Jareth!" Sarah shouted.

The man in black stopped dead in his tracks. He turned lividly between Jareth and Sarah, deciding something, and then disappeared.

"Sarah!" Jareth said running to Sarah, his mouth still fraught in anger. "Are you injured?"

"I am alright."

"No, you are not." He said gripping her arms and feeling them up and down. "You are bleeding," he added regarding her elbow. He took her head by her chin studying every corner of her face. Sarah winced. "Your chin is bruised too."

"I'm okay, Jareth, thanks to you."

"Sarah, if anything had happened to you…" Jareth pulled Sarah into his arms. Emphatically kissing her forehead and the sides of her face. She eagerly lifted her chin and met his intense gaze.

"Oooh…Sarah. You will be the undoing of me."

"How is that?" she said, returning a slow gentle kiss to his cheek and working down to the corner of his mouth. She watched as his mouth twitched up in pleasure before breaking away to swoop down again in a tight, smoldering embrace. Sarah was stunned, his lips were thin and soft, generous and warm on hers. She could feel a heat emanating up through her body as their lips began moving rhythmically together. He clung to her tighter, wrapping her deeper into his protective, possessive arms. His desire was insatiable and Sarah allowed herself to be swept away by his powerful, hungry mouth. _So this is what it feels like_, she thought, her lips raw to the touch. _Pray that it will never end. _

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__A/N What an exciting chapter to write. I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Pretty, pretty please, review!

Also, another heartfelt thank you to HEW and her time and effort as my BETA reader. It was a long chapter! Don't forget if you have the time to check out her own excellent work. u/1780998/HEW


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: The Labyrinth, Jareth, Sarah and Toby aren't mine.

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Chapter Seventeen

My mystery man.

Electricity… that was what Sarah felt pulsating through every cell of her body. She felt as if every nerve ending had been lit on fire and only Jareth could quench the ravenous flames. She was standing on her tippy-toes, her arms locked around Jareth's broad torso, drawing him in urgently. _Please don't let him stop._ She tightened her grasp. Jareth let out a guttural moan, as he boosted her up in the air, posing her flat against a stone wall. He towered over her, imprisoning her with his strong, unrelenting arms. Sarah felt another electric shock as he teased her neck and shoulders with feather-like kisses.

"Jareth," she purred softly.

He let out another deep groan before working his way back up her neck to the tip of her chin. There he stopped, staring at her through mismatched eyes, their gaze locking. Sarah could feel the weight of his stare, as she breathed heavily into the silent alcove. She felt a longing like she had never known, their bodies only inches apart. She closed her eyes, resting her head against the cold rocks behind her. An invitation. A moment later she felt Jareth cradling her face in the palm of his hands, as he gently brushed her lips with a steady, soft kiss. She opened her eyes, hungrily reaching out for more. He grasped her hands in his and brought them up to his mouth.

"We need to go back," he said, a frown breaking through his intense expression. He gave Sarah's hands one last kiss before gently lowering them, and letting go.

"I know," Sarah said, despite herself.

With that, Jareth turned around and left the alcove.

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_What was that? _Sarah thought to herself, as Jareth sped out of the small alcove. She followed behind his long stride like a puppy.

"Jareth!"

"Make haste, Sarah. The others should be waking up soon."

Sarah had to practically run to keep up with him.

"I know, but…don't you think we should talk?" Sarah said to his back.

"Yes, but not now," he said without stopping.

Sarah huffed to herself. _He is certainly right_, she thought. _Toby would be worried if he woke up to find me missing. _They would need to address what had just happened between them at another time. She continued chasing after Jareth, her mind replaying the scene that had come to transpire. _It was utterly amazing_, she mused. It felt like the world had disappeared around them, and only the two of them existed at that moment in time. _Did it really happen? _She smiled giddily, momentarily relieved that Jareth couldn't see her silly expression. She felt like skipping. She felt like she was fifteen again. Her mouth ached from smiling as they approached the Inn. Her reverie was interrupted by her brother's worried voice.

"Sarah, where were you?!" her brother cried, running to her side.

"Uhhh… oh." Sarah came down from her dream cloud.

"Yes," Jareth said finally turning towards Sarah, "I think we would all like to know exactly what happened, from the beginning."

Sarah looked at Jareth through confused eyes. Did he really want her to tell them about their private moment?

"Why were you out walking alone?" he asked her.

"Oooh," Sarah said. _I can't believe I forgot I was attacked. Where are my senses? _Her gaze fell on Jareth's tightly drawn mouth. _Oh, there they are. _Her cheeks flushed, embarrassed. She watched as Aris and Terajh came jogging over.

"There you two are! Where did you go?" Terajh said regarding Sarah and Jareth carefully.

"Sarah!" Aris said, reaching for Sarah's hands. "What happened? Something happened. I woke up this morning with this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. Imagine my fear when I realized both of you were gone."

"Oh, I'm alright," Sarah said, touched by Aris' concern.

"Where did you go?" Terajh asked.

"I received this letter under my door this morning," Sarah said, unfolding the letter she had had tucked under her belt. "It was in Toby's handwriting. It seemed like something he would write." She handed the letter over to Terajh. He looked it over, and passed it around to Jareth and Aris.

"What letter? I didn't write you a letter, I swear!" Toby said, confused.

"We know you didn't Toby," Aris said, glowering to herself.

"What then?" Toby asked.

"Another maker, probably from the brotherhood," Terajh said, expressionless.

"Why?"

Terajh looked at Sarah as if asking permission.

"I told him we wouldn't keep anymore secrets from him," Sarah replied.

"This was an attempted kidnapping," Terajh said to Toby.

"Thankfully, Jareth was there."

"Yes, thankfully," Terajh said eyeing his brother. "But how did you know what was happening?"

The group turned their attention to Jareth, his brow fraught with worry.

"I couldn't sleep," Jareth said, after a moment. Choosing his words carefully, he continued, "I was out in the labyrinth already."

"Luckily!" Aris said, rubbing Sarah's shoulders reassuringly.

"Indeed," Jareth added, irritation breaking through the surface of his calm facade. "Sarah," he said a moment later, "You should be more careful."

"Jareth, I know, I…"

"No, you don't," he said flatly, "You are naïve, and it is going to get you hurt."

"Jareth," Aris began, "you are being a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Obviously, coddling her isn't the solution," he said to Aris angrily, before turning back to Sarah, "You are careless, and impulsive, with no regard for the people around you."

"How was I supposed to know it wasn't real?" Sarah shot back defending herself.

"You didn't find it strange that we would leave you behind?"

"Yes, but…"

"You are supposed to come to me if you have any doubts."

"You just said you weren't even in your room!" Sarah fought back.

"I…I…" Jareth huffed, defeated. "You should have waited for me," he added a moment later.

Aris interrupted with a muffled snicker.

"What is it?" Toby asked

"I've never heard a speechless Jareth," Aris said, through closed teeth.

"It does seem out of character, doesn't it?" Terajh interjected.

Jareth looked squarely at Aris and Terajh. "Delightful, I am glad you find this amusing," he said through a furrowed brow. He shot a loaded look back to Sarah, and stormed off into the Inn.

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Sarah squinted, blocking the harsh light of the white sun with the palm of her hand. They had just left the damp, dim Ashcombe behind them. She could make out Jareth and Terajh just ahead of them following the edge of the large lake to the other side of the valley. She looked back towards the now hidden entrance of the labyrinth town.

"I imagine you are happy to leave Ashcombe behind," Aris said, placing her hand on Sarah's shoulder.

Sarah looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"You said you were attacked," Aris continued, "I would be more than ready to get out of there."

"It was traumatic," Sarah said, the man's sinister eyes floating through her memory. _But how to explain? _She would spend an eternity there, if it meant she could relive those precious moments that followed the attack.

"Did you get a good look at him?" Aris asked.

"Yeah, what did the guy look like?" Toby asked. "Besides a dead man walking, I mean."

"Don't be silly, Toby. You see anyone from the brotherhood, you run away. Understood? "

"Yeah, I hear you…" Toby said

"All I can remember is a man all dressed in black, with dark brown eyes."

"What did he say to you?"

"He called me a mortal-maker-mutt," Sarah said, "Almost had a nice ring to it, if it weren't for his utter disdain."

"Anything else?"

"He wasn't working alone. He said he was supposed to bring me back alive," Sarah said, watching Aris frown. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing, it's just… it had to be someone you and Toby know."

"I know," Sarah said, looking gravely at Aris. "The letter could have been from Toby. They must have had a long conversation with him." She frowned. "But I think I know who."

"Who?" Toby asked, lividly.

"You won't like the answer, Toby."

"Who?!"

"I think the brotherhood made Jeminy talk, or worse write it."

"That would make sense," Aris said, her eyes laden with concern.

Sarah looked up at her brother, adding, "I wish it wouldn't."

"Jeminy…" Toby hung his head, solemnly.

"Toby," Sarah said, wrapping her arm around his shoulders, "you know this has nothing to do with you, right?"

"They tortured him to know what I'm like."

"No, they didn't. The information they needed wasn't about you. It was how to manipulate me. This isn't your fault."

"There is no way _either _of you could have known this would happen," Aris interrupted. "Jeminy wanted to help you. He knew there could be a risk. As I do now. We are responsible for _our_ choices alone, believe me that is enough." Aris looked gravely at Sarah and Toby, "So don't go around carrying a burden that doesn't belong to you."

The three continued on in silence for awhile. Sarah watched the landscape change as they emerged from the valley and beyond the base of the second mountain. The land gave way to emerald rolling hills, peppered with small trees, bearing snow-colored flowers. A cobble-stoned path lined with trees led the group through a canopy of white petals. _It's beautiful,_ Sarah thought. _This path leads us to Jareth's home town. _She felt nervous as she continued forward. What had happened earlier? For a fleeting instant they had shared such an intimate moment. Sarah was sure of it, her cheeks reddening at the memory. Then a moment later, he was angry at her? He had called her careless and impulsive, _indicated that I was selfish. _She hung her head, grimly. _I was wrong to leave the Inn. He was right to be angry, I wasn't thinking clearly, _Sarah thought, what did that mean for them? Did that change what had transpired in the alcove? _And why has he not even looked at me once since we left the Inn? _Sarah massaged her neck, glowering in the shaded alley, an array of emotions storming over her.

"Aris," Toby said after a moment, cutting through Sarah's internal torment. "You have been to Jorg before, right?"

"Many, many years ago," Aris said happy to alleviate the awkward silence.

"What's it like? Is it a big town?"

"There are roughly ten thousand makers living within the city walls."

"Is that a lot?"

"It's an average sized town by maker standards."

"Will we be staying at Jareth's?" Toby asked

Sarah studied Aris carefully, her stomach tying in knots.

"We will be staying with his father."

"At his father's house? What about his mother?"

"You didn't know? His mother passed away about fifteen maker years ago," Aris said, regarding Sarah and Toby with an uneasy air.

"No, he never told us," Toby said surprised.

Sarah let out a laden sigh. "We never asked," she said, through down cast eyes. What else did she not know about him? Jareth knew so much about her, but what had she known about him? _He is a one –hundred-and- eight year old maker, he has a brother, and a friend named Aris. I don't know him at all, _she reproached herself.

"He isn't the easiest person to get to know. For a maker, he is very private," Aris tried to reassure them.

"How did she die?" Toby asked

"It was a horseback riding accident. That is all I know."

Sarah watched Jareth's back a short distance ahead of her. She had never taken the time to get to know Jareth. She felt utterly ashamed. Her heart was aching as she played back his heavy words from the cave. "_With no regard for the people around you…"_ _It's not true, Jareth, _she thought, determination bubbling under the surface. _ I do care about you. And I will prove it… _

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A/N: I know the chapter is short, but there will be a very fun chapter to come. :) Be kind, review! review!

*Again a special thanks to my talented Beta Reader, HEW at u/1780998/. Check out her work if you have the time!*


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth, Jareth, Sarah or Toby.

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Chapter Eighteen

The Apples and the Tree.

After reaching the other side of the bend in the white sheltered path, Sarah let out a gasp of delighted surprise. The trees to her left vanished, giving way to a wide deep valley of midnight blue water. The lake was surrounded by the same emerald rolling hills she had seen before. But the most breathtaking sight was the white marbled island that had emerged into view. Four symmetrical granite bridges joined the emerald hills to the marbled mass. The white island shot up from the deep blue like the moon in a blanket of night sky. Sarah studied the island in awe. It was a spectacular fortress, with layers of tall marbled walls, bastions, and arches narrowing towards two elegant round towers. _This is where Jareth lives? _ She couldn't imagine anything more beautiful. She stood frozen at the immensity of the sight before her. A break in the cotton-ball clouds above her filtered in a soft white light on the celestial citadel. Sarah giggled inwardly. _What now? Birds?! _As if on cue, a flock of white birds swooped down, grazing the sparkling water before her. _Ha ha ha. _She laughed inwardly. _This can't be for real._ _The man I love is from here? And he actually left this place to visit Upper Nyack? _

"Woooow! This is sooo awesome! It's an actual castle," Toby said with a dropped jaw.

"It's a citadel," Aris corrected. "The external walls act as a fortress to the city." She pointed to the stone wall encircling the white island.

"What about those two large towers in the middle?" Toby asked.

"They are a part of the castle," Aris explained as the three began to continue toward the nearest bridge. Jareth and Terajh were still a great distance ahead of them.

"So there is a castle! Cool! Is there a King?"

"No. Monarchy is forbidden in the Makers Realm," Aris explained, running a hand through her wild red hair.

"Then why is there a castle?"

"Well, it isn't precisely a castle. Those two towers are linked to all the other houses in Jorg. But when the makers first settled in Jorg they were greatly inspired by the human world's medieval architecture, with their own maker embellishments of course."

"Who lives in the two towers then?"

"The elected Keeper of the Peace and her family reside in the tower there," she said, gesturing to the tower to the right. "The other one belongs to the Keeper of the Truth and his children." Aris stopped, turning her head over her shoulder to a lingering Sarah. "What do you think of Jorg, Sarah?"

"It's breathtaking," Sarah said, still mesmerized by her view.

"I know someone who would be happy to hear that," Aris said, smiling warmly at Sarah.

Sarah flushed, her cheeks radish red. _No… don't give me a way! Why must you advertise every emotion I feel! _Sarah chided her cheeks.

"Oh, I don't know," Sarah said, suddenly very nervous.

Aris placed a warm, reassuring hand on Sarah's back as the three walked along the grey granite bridge to the threshold of Jorg, meeting up with the waiting Jareth and Terajh.

Sarah felt her heart racing again as she approached Jareth, trying her best to calm her nerves. He stood before an intricately carved set of wooden doors. Matching figure eights were engraved into the mahogany wood. Her eyes flickered up to where Jareth stood and rested squarely at the back of his head. _Turn around…look at me, Jareth, _Sarah thought, contemplating the thin line between fear and desire.

"Sarah, Toby, let me be the first one to welcome you to Jorg," Jareth said, still refusing to meet her gaze. He drummed a massive lion knocker against the door and continued, "I hope you will find it to your liking. Now, if you'll excuse me…" The giant wooden doors swung open and Jareth entered a shiny white hall with no roof. _Wait, you're leaving? _Sarah thought in panic. Jareth paused, opened his mouth to say something more, shook his head, and walked away.

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"Don't mind him," Terajh said, turning around to Sarah, Toby and Aris. "He must be nervous. He needs to have a talk with our father. He asked me to take you to the Second Circle Restaurant. After that, I will need to leave you too. I have some business…" he paused, looking at Sarah, "Well, you know the story, the prodigal son returns, and so on and so forth. Suffice it to say, I have some explaining to do. Aris, can I leave them in your capable hands at the restaurant?"

"Of course. You do what is necessary."

Sarah took in the scene around them. They were in a busy passage as wide as a road. Makers surrounded them going about their daily routines. They were dressed in medieval influenced attire, with what seemed to Sarah must have a maker's twist. She watched a young girl with a crimson dress that fell just above her knee, braiding the hair of a blonde girl wearing a golden dress with one bellowing sleeve. She could see many makers, whispering among each other pointing at Terajh. Their eyes were wide with delight. They eyed Sarah and Toby curiously.

"Solace, Emry," Terajh said his voice clearly audible. "You must be starving. Let's go," he gestured the three ahead of him before leaning in for a more private audience.

"So, Toby," Terajh said his voice almost a whisper, guiding them through a row of arcading. "I heard your first Makers Realm experience began at the age of one, and since then you have been one of Jareth's favorite humans."

"Really?" Toby asked, surprised. "He said I'm one of his favorites?"

"Do you remember your adventures?"

"Yes, every one of them. But I thought they were dreams. Really _real_ dreams."

"Hmm…" Terajh said, pursing his lips. "Be careful, mate, you don't want to become a _clinger_."

"Terajh, he won't," Aris interrupted, glaring up at her fellow maker.

"A what?" Sarah asked, concerned.

"A _clinger." _

"What is a _clinger?_" Sarah insisted.

Aris glowered at Terajh, and turned to Sarah. "It's nothing to worry about. There have been some reported cases where humans have gotten so caught up in the dream that they lose their sense of reality and they never leave their speck of dust."

"And I shouldn't worry?" Sarah said through perplexed eyes.

"No, you shouldn't. You are both fully aware of your human lives. Furthermore, Jareth took you through the Veil of Passage."

Sarah looked at Aris through puzzled eyes. "The Veil of Passage?"

Aris let out a heavy sigh. "Jareth should be the one to explain all this."

"Jareth should have explained a long time ago," Terajh interrupted. "He doesn't volunteer information very easily. He waits to be asked, and even then it's excruciating getting a straight answer out of him."

"That's not fair, Terajh. Your brother—"

"Is a great man, and I love him, Aris. But Sarah and Toby should know how the Maker Realm works." His pale blue eyes shifted back to Sarah and Toby. "In fact, there are two ways for a human to enter the Makers Realm. The first is through the Black Hole of Creation. A maker can transport a human in the dream state or waking state into speck of dust in the Black Hole of Creation, but they cannot leave their speck of dust. However, if you want to enter Makers Realm, and travel _through _Makers Land you must enter through the Veil of Passage in your corporal form, body and soul intact."

"So when we came here this time, Jareth took our hands and asked us to close our eyes…that was when we passed through the veil?" Toby asked.

"Yes."

"I just remember it was very bright."

"The Veil is at the center of the Makers Realm. The center of the figure eight is where Makers Land, The Black Hole and the Human Realm collide. This collision of realms creates an intense white light. It can be blinding if you look at it directly. Of course a maker can heal your eyes, but the transit in NMZ can be very uncomfortable."

"So, in regards to the _clinger_ issue_…_ Toby was in risk when he travelled to the speck of dusts before?" Sarah asked, looking at Terajh through worried brown eyes.

"Considering he remembered them so vividly…"

"Jareth would never allow that to happen!" Aris interrupted, crossly. "The risk is very, very minute. And Jareth takes care to never exceed the cautionary thirteen hours. He has never had any _clinger _episodes. Look at Sarah, she had been Jareth's dreamer for years."

"No, the Goblin City was the only time," Sarah said, confused. She folded her arms, letting out a loaded sigh and continued, "It wasn't the only time, was it? Just the only time that I remember."

"Oh, Sarah, I'm sorry. I should have let Jareth tell you all this," Aris said, wincing. "Talk to him, he will tell you everything."

"Right, okay," Sarah said, nodding her head mechanically. _If I can get him to talk to me,_ she thought, her frustration building inwardly. _Jareth! What else haven't you told me! _

"There have been no reported _clinger _occurrences for humans traveling through the Veil of Passage," Terajh continued, "because we have had very few humans actually travel through Makers Land. Sarah, I don't mean to be Mr. Negativity, I just want to make sure you understand the weight of your choices. Being attacked by the brotherhood, exposing Toby so completely to this realm, making your step mother worry… Are you sure all of it is really worth it?"

"Of course it is!" Toby interrupted.

"It's my mother," was Sarah's sole reply.

"Yes, it is," Terajh said, breathing in deeply. After a moment he said, "I would probably do the same." The four continued on through the rows of stone archway stopping just before mahogany door with "Second Circle Restaurant" engraved in swooping letters.

"This is the end of the line for me. I will leave you then," he said to the group.

"Good luck with your father," Sarah said.

Terajh grimaced, his voice muffled, "I will need it."

"You'll do fine. Mavius will just be happy to see his son again." Aris leaned in, wrapping Terajh in a warm hug. "We'll meet up with you later, alright?"

Terajh shifted uncomfortably. "Alright. I will see you all later," he said through a wary smile. With that Terajh turned around and disappeared into the marble archways.

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Jareth peered about the familiar round room. Nothing had changed. The burgundy and brown pin striped tapestry, the ornately engraved chair-rail encircling the room, the brass candelabras, everything was exactly as it had been on his last visit three years ago. Even his father sat in the same stoic position before him. _Mavius Domasj. The proud man himself._ Jareth, thought_. Unaltered by time or circumstance._ His father was a strong, charismatic man to the makers of Jorg, but to Jareth and his brother he was tough, and unyielding. His father always said, "Honor, dignity, and respect are essential to a man, _love_ is a luxur_y._"Jareth knew his father loved him and Terajh in his own way, but as children their father patted them on the back, and as adults he shook their hand. Three years away from home and this was the greeting Jareth expected, as he slipped his warm hand into the cool, strong grip of his father's. _No, nothing has changed. _

"Jareth, it is good to see you. I trust you have been well?" The man said, gesturing Jareth to sit down.

The two men sat across from each other, separated by an immense mahogany desk. A fire flickering in the hearth behind his father cast him into shadow. He sat, reclining in his red leather chair, lighting a long pipe and studying Jareth.

"Yes, I have been fine," Jareth said, anxiously. "And you, Father?"

"Nothing can break me, son" his father said through a rare half smile.

Jareth hesitated not sure how to bring up the subject for his visit. "Father, I have come…"

"I know why you are here, Jareth."

"Of course you do," Jareth said through a relieved smile.

"You have brought her here to Jorg, then?"

"Yes, her and her brother."

"I see."

"Father, what is it that you know exactly?"

"What I have heard from my contacts in Ashecomb. You have a human girl in your custody." Jareth's father paused, looking squarely into his son's eyes. "Her name is Sarah Williams. She is the daughter of a maker, who happens to be a part of the Brotherhood."

"Then, I guess it's time." The man stared intensely at the flickering flames, a mixed expression of fear and regret coming over him. "I have been unjust," he said finally, his eyes shooting up to meet Jareth's. "I taught you about honor, dignity, and respect, but in the end I failed to uphold those values myself. I had wronged you both, but your brother…" the dejected man continued, watching Jareth's bewildered gaze. "You don't know... When your mother died, I was consumed with guilt…I…"

"Guilt?"

"I couldn't look at your brother without thinking of Rosela. I was terrible towards him. The hatred I felt every time I saw those pale blue eyes, I directed it towards him. But it wasn't him I hated." The man broke away from the probing stare of his son. "I…your mother, she left a note."

"A note?" Jareth watched as his father waved his hand, revealing a secret compartment above the hearth. He pulled out a single piece of folded parchment, and handed it to his son.

Jareth grasped the piece of paper holding it up to the firelight, and read aloud a tear stained note in his mother's hand.

_I cannot live a lie. I cannot live, when your love belongs to someone else. Please tell the children I love them, always. _

Jareth gasped, turning over the parchment. There was nothing else. _What is this? _Jareth felt his hands begin to shake as hot blood surged through his veins. _What is this letter? _He turned it over again, hoping for more answers. _My father betrayed my mother? Is she saying goodbye?_

"She was leaving you?" Jareth said, finding his voice.

"No, I don't think so." His father hung his head, a loaded sigh escaping his lips. "She was an excellent equestrian," the older man said after a moment. He reached for the parchment. "Her death is my weight to bear."

"You think she…you think she..she made that accident happen." Jareth's words felt like molten lava on his tongue. "You think that letter was…" He winced, unable to finish the sentence. "Who was the other woman?" Jareth said, through clenched teeth.

"Someone who never loved me in return," his father said solemnly.

Jareth considered his father's words carefully. "You cannot tell Terajh now to alleviate your conscience," he spat, seething inwardly at the betrayal. "We just got him back. You must treat him as you did before Mother's _accident."_

"I intend to. But you should know this much: your brother lost his mother, was hated by his father, and abandoned everything he knew in the course of a few months. He may not be the brother you remember," the man said, waving his hand to close the secret compartment.

"Undoubtedly, he is much stronger and independent. Furthermore, he understands forgiveness, as he has agreed to come home, despite your behavior towards him. He is the best of us three." Jareth said, glaring at his father.

"You can hate me, son, but it won't be nearly as much as I have hated myself."

A knock on a massive wooden door sounded throughout the chamber.

"Enter," the older man said to the door.

The door swung open and a tall, thin man with black hair in a red poet's shirt entered.

"What is it, Yolis?" Jareth's father asked.

"Keeper of the Truth, Mavius Domasj, your son Terajh is here to see you."

"Please, send him in."

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed Chapter 18! Please let me know what you thought. It makes it all worth it.

**Special shout out to my Beta Reader, HEW at u/1780998/. Thank you HEW for your insight and help!**


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth, Jareth, Sarah or Toby. Enjoy!

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Chapter Nineteen

My best friend's wedding.

Toby looked around the Second Circle Restaurant. It was a dimly lit spherical room with one giant O-shaped table. Chairs were placed around the outside rim of the table and the center was occupied by four very busy Makers. Around the table were people of Jorg, merrily plunging into plates that appeared to be more like art than food, Toby thought. They gestured emphatically to the jovial Makers in the center of the "O," describing their hearts' desires and greedily devouring the delivered goods. The room was loud and cheery, with little regard to the three new guests as they settled between two groups of boisterous Makers. A boy sitting next to Toby turned his attention in their direction.

"Oh!" said the lad through a heaping mouthful of butter biscuit. "You are new to town."

"Flitz, swallow then speak," a tall brunette said to his right.

_Hah! _Toby thought, _it looks like some things are the same everywhere. _Toby watched as the brunette woman turned to address a little girl in pigtails, shoving smashed pees into the plastic mouth of her baby doll. "Kipsy! Don't do that!" Toby watched the woman wave a hand over the smiling doll removing the green mush stain from her shiny blonde hair.

The boy gulped down the rest of his bread with a bubbly pink drink and said, "What's your name?"

"I'm T-Emry," Toby stuttered, his cheeks reddening. _Crap. _

"Temry, pleasure to meet you. Where you from?"

"Urcell," Toby said, trying to sound as natural as possible.

"Wooow." The boy's grey eyes grew into two silver dollars. "I visited there once. My mother has an old school friend from Urcell. Do you know the Rodicci clan?"

"Nope, sorry."

"Well, there is no surprise there. It's a big city. I loved Rolling Rock. You have been there plenty of times, I bet," he continued on, stuffing a giant fork-full of purple mush in his round cheeks.

"Uhh…yes."

"What was your favorite part?"

"Uhh…" _Oh no,_ Toby thought to himself, _how do I get out of this?_

"No, let me guess, the Round Robys Rocket."

"Yes. That was…awesome."

"Yeah, that's my favorite part too," the boy said smiling ear to ear. "Hey! Is that Aristotle of the Limidus clan?"

Toby followed the direction of the boy's pointed pudgy finger. "Oh, yeah," Toby said, watching Aris on the other side of Sarah as she conversed cheerily with the blonde next to her. He could feel Sarah watching him. "And this is my sister, S-Solace," he said, meeting his sisters eyes. She smiled at him approvingly.

"Solace? Pleased to meet ya," the boy said, nodding his head cordially. "My name is Flitz." He then directed his attention back to Aris and said, "So you all are traveling with Aristotle? If you know Aristotle then you must know Jareth. Wooow. Is Jareth back too? Wait, does this mean there will be a wedding?"

"Huh?!" Toby and Sarah said in unison, their eyes locked on the cheery boy.

"It's the closest thing we would get to a celebrity wedding here in Jorg. Everyone's been dying for those two to make it official. Wish they would do it already. Wedding festivals are the absolute best! Don't you agree?"

"Uhh…" Toby started.

"I heard that one of Aristotle's sisters married a couple years ago. The festival was a week long and they even had dragon rides!" Toby watched as the boy looked at Aristotle through gaping mouth. "But Jareth and Aristotle, now that would be a festival!"

"Flitz Garbonzo Reed, now you stop your gossiping," the brunette interrupted him. "I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive my son. Flitz loves to gossip. I'm not sure where he learned it. Certainly not from me." She turned toward her son, "not everything you hear from your school friends is true, Flitz." The woman raised her head back in the direction of Sarah and Toby. "Just earlier today he was going on about Terajh being back in town. We have heard that one before."

"Oh," Sarah said through a forced smile.

"Yeah, well…" Toby began, disregarding a look of warning from his sister.

"It's not gossip, Mom. Gryly said he saw Terajh himself today. Plus, as for Aristotle and Jareth, I heard it directly from Strian, who heard from Gryly, who heard from Horgle, who volunteers at the Truth Keeper's tower, that Aristotle and Jareth were seen kissing in the Willow Gardens when they were in Jorg Central together."

"Flitz…" his mother began, looking at him with an exasperated air.

"They will probably have a surprise wedding at the Meadow Spring Ball, this weekend!"

"Flitz, that's enough. Eat your hollybus."

"Fiiiiiine," the boy gave a half smile to Toby, and mouthed "We'll talk later," before returning to the purple mush on his plate.

_They kissed? _Toby thought to himself, his eyes wandering up to a preoccupied Aris. _She said she liked Jareth, what if he likes her back? _Toby felt a pang of disappointment as he imagined Aris and Jareth together. Letting out a heavy sigh into the noisy room, he turned his head slightly toward his sister. She looked awful. _What is that look? It looks as if someone slapped her in the face. She looks… like…how I feel. Does Sarah like Jareth? _ _When did that happen?_

"Sare," Toby said, trying to divert her attention. "What should we order?"

"Don't worry," Aris said, returning her focus to the two mortals. "I'll take care of you." She smiled warmly at Toby and Sarah before waving over one of the central Makers. "Willabee, how great it is to see you again!"

Toby watched Sarah studying Aris. _She is a beautiful woman,_ Toby thought. _If Jareth likes her, Sarah and I don't stand a chance. _He gripped Sarah's hand under the table, reassuringly. Sarah, gasped in surprise at her brother's touch. Breaking her fixed gaze on Aris, she turned in awkward silence to her brother. She gave him a forced reassuring smile, and turned her attention back to Aris and the exotic woman approaching the table.

Toby sighed, turning his attention to the beautiful woman with short hazelnut hair and a chocolate complexion standing before them. "Aris, darling, where have you been hiding? Have you brought us back that deliiiicious Jareth?" The woman slipped her a sly smile before adding, "You've been keeping him all to yourself, lucky girl. Can't say I blame you though. I wouldn't let him step a foot out of the bedroom until he had my name tattooed on his handsome hiny." Toby grimaced, what a horrible image.

Aris blushed wildly. "I..I…we are just friends," she said, glancing at Sarah from the corner of her eye.

"Uh huh, sweetheart, you've been drooling over him for over sixty years, time to fess up, and marry the hunk. If not, someone might snatch him right out from underneath that pretty little nose of yours."

Sarah let out sudden dry cough, "Sorry," she said between choking noises. "Could I get a glass of water?"

Toby watched Sarah as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. _Could this get any more awkward? _

"Sure thing, lovely," The woman said, her eyes sparkling in amusement, "Aris, who is this delicate little bird traveling with you?" She waved her hand and gave Sarah a goblet of ice cold water.

"This is Solace and her brother, Emry, from the Urcell clan. They are friends of mine and Jareth's."

A single eyebrow shot up on Willabee's sculpted face as she regarded Sarah and Toby carefully. "Uh, huh, and I'm King Kong," she said in disbelief. "That there is trouble and trouble-ette." She bounced her head from brother to sister.

"Excuse me?" Sarah said in surprise.

Toby froze in panic.

"Oooh, don't worry, kitten. Your secret's safe with me," Willabee smiled widely and returned her attention to Aris. "So what can I can make for you Aris," her voice became a whisper, "and your two cute little mortals?"

Toby almost fell out of his seat. Did he hear her correctly? She knows? _And I thought I was doing a good job. _

"What gave us away?" Sarah asked, concern seeping through a small voice.

"Darling, I have a gift for seeing what others cannot see," she said, winking at Sarah. She stood back a moment staring crossed arms at Sarah and Toby, a somber look taking over her jovial features. "But be careful, the Brotherhood's reach is far and wide. Even in Jorg." The warning in her voice was clear and effective. Toby tried to remain cool, but felt a shiver down his spine despite himself. "Now," the woman chirped, her voice taking on the same sing-song quality as before, "What in the Makers Realm can I make for you?"

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Jareth reclined back in the red leather sofa adjacent from the low burning fire. He watched as his brother strode forward into his father's burgundy and brown study. His father had tucked away his pipe into the pocket of a renaissance style black shirt. His deep eyes were black coals, flickering in the firelight as he reached two broad muscular arms out to welcome his youngest son home. Terajh approached his father, and the older man wrapped his son in an awkward but genuine embrace. Jareth gasped inwardly, his father never hugged.

"Terajh," his father said after a moment, drawing back to study his son's countenance. "Let me take a better look at you." He snapped his fingers and the fire blazed anew. "You are your mother, through and through." A bittersweet smile spread above his cleft chin.

"Father," Terajh began, unsure of himself, "I..I'm sorry it took me so long to get here."

"It's no matter, my son," said the Keeper of Truth. "You are here now."

_I am going to be sick, _Jareth thought at the intimate scene, anger still seething under the surface. _A reunion built on lies. And what was that? A hug? I'm sorry Terajh. You deserve to know the truth, but if I tell you… you may never come back. _He had no idea his father could be so cruel. How could he love a woman other than his mother? Hadn't he vowed to treasure her for eternity? _ The words… He had said the words. He made the promise! _

_For however long we will walk the band of infinity, your hand, your heart, your soul alone I will cherish and hold dear to me. For you are my breath and my reason, my thirst and my passion. For you are mine, and I am yours, and we are each treasured for all eternity. _

_And yet he dared love another woman!? _Jareth considered how desperate his mother had to have been to end her own life. _How did she find out? Did he tell her? Had she seen them together? Oh, what a horrible man. _Jareth felt wretched. The years of admiring his father's cool yet capable demeanor were crashing down on him, a storm of muddy confusion. _This one wrong…does it erase all the good he has done?_ _Does it change who my father is fundamentally? _Jareth watched as his father gleamed merrily at his youngest son. _Yes. Yes, it does. _

"How are you, Father?" Terajh asked.

"Better now that you have returned."

_I can't stay here…_

"Terajh, Father, if you will excuse me, I do have some business to attend to."

"Yes, of course, Jareth. Oh, and Jareth, remember to have Ms. Sarah Williams sent to me. Tonight, please."

"Yes, Father." Jareth gave a casual nod of his head and sped out of his father's office.

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Sarah had been lost in thought for hours. She hadn't noticed the path they had taken, nor had she heard the soft chatter between Toby and Aris along the way. She had followed them instinctively, her eyes fixed on the red bouncing curls tumbling down Aris' back. And when Aris had presented her to the guest bedroom, Sarah had mechanically thanked Aris . Her sight had lingered over Aris' heart shaped cherry lips, before she had mustered a meek "I'll see you guys in the morning," and gently closed the door behind her. And there she stood, her hand still on the brass knob of her chamber door. Her breath was steady but slow as she replayed the scene from the restaurant. The round cheeked boy surfacing in her mind.

"_Everyone's been dying for those two to make it official…..Aristotle and Jareth were seen kissing in the Willow Gardens." _

Sarah winced in pain, at the image of the beautiful Aris and Jareth sharing an intimate kiss under weeping willow trees.

_"… you've been drooling over him for over sixty years, time to fess up, and marry the hunk."_

_Aris loves Jareth? _Sarah thought, biting down on her lower lip. _Does Jareth love Aris? But he kissed me. Was it mistake? A moment of weakness? Is he being all strange now because he regrets it?! Oh, what is going on?! _She spun around into the dark room.

"Lights!" she barked, into the heavy darkness, frustration consuming her.

A hanging fire lit chandelier flickered to life, illuminating her surroundings. A low burning fire appeared in a hearth next to her. She was standing at the entrance of a large round stone chamber with a band of arched windows encircling the entire space, giving way to a black sky and golden lit city below. The room itself was elegantly furnished. A massive four poster bed, draped with a sheer cotton canopy stood in the center of the room, adjacent to the fire. A tall series of bookshelves, divided the room's sleeping and living quarters from a wide porcelain clawed tub, sink, and toilet. She walked around her chamber, taking in the luxury. Her mind was a cluttered mess of mixed emotions. Awe, love, anger, sadness, and fear all jumbled in her brain. Her senses were in overdrive. What she wouldn't give to escape her own thoughts. _Jareth! _She screamed inwardly. _You have some explaining to do! _Where had he gone to? Surely he had settled things with his father by now. _Why hasn't he come? _Sarah plopped down, exasperated, into an armchair next to the warming fire. The gentle flames seemed to soothe her nerves. _Let's think about this calmly. I shouldn't read too much into things. Aris had said that Jareth and she were just friends, _she thought remembering Aris' response to Willabee's directness. _She wouldn't lie. Would she? _Sarah shook her head no. _Aris wouldn't lie. _ _Right, and Jareth wasn't necessarily aloof just with me. Terajh had said that Jareth was probably just nervous about talking to his father. That explains that. _Sarah tried in vain to ignore the nagging sensation that there was more to both those stories. _There must be some history there between Aris and Jareth. _ _Even if they were…or are…together… We shared a kiss, but Jareth made no promises to me. We got caught up in the moment. It probably didn't mean anything to him. _Sarah's heart sunk. _Yes, I am the one placing meaning into it. Has he ever said "I care about you?" "I like you?" "I love you?" Not once. _She whimpered despite herself into the quiet chamber. _But he kissed me first! He said I would be the undoing of him, and then started showering me with these little pecks. How was I supposed to respond? And then, that kiss…he…he was the one who…"_ Sarah's heart began thudding loudly in her chest, as she remembered the way he swooped down and seized her mouth. _No, that was definitely not something you do on a whim. He has some explaining to do! _She scowled into the fire. _I'm sure he knows we need to talk. _ _He is probably on his way right now. _She looked up at her chamber door desperately. _Any moment now. _Her stomach was in knots as she sat anticipating his knock on the wooden door. "Jareth," she whispered his name into the silent room. Her intense gaze locked on the room's only entrance. The sudden knock that finally came, sent a shock through her entire body. She stood up quickly, walking to the door. She tried to hide her labored breath and concerned expression under a forced and awkward smile. She reached the door, took in a deep breath, and opened it wide.

"It's about time, Jareth," she said, looking up. Her eyes met a clear forehead and red locks. Surprise and discomfort overtook Sarah's painted on smile. She lowered her eyes and met Aris' kind gaze. Aris smiled demurely.

"Sorry, Sarah, you were expecting Jareth." Aris shifted uncomfortably. "I do have a message from him. He wants me to take you to his father's study. His father wants to meet you."

"Oh," Sarah said, her eyes downcast. "Okay."

"Don't worry Sarah, his father is really a good man. You'll see."

Sarah looked at Aris. Aris' chocolate brown eyes twinkled with kindness. Sarah let out a heavy sigh. _It would be so much easier if I hated her. _Aris placed a reassuring hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"He doesn't bite, I promise," Aris continued. _She's impossible not to love. _Sarah smiled warmly, tucking the burdensome emotions into her subconscious.

"Okay, Aris. Show me the way." She locked arms with Aris and closed the chamber door behind her.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed Chapter 19...something unexpected is coming soon! Also, thank you again HEW for being a great BETA. :)


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